The Science of Spectral Magnetism
by geegeevee
Summary: Maki led a perfectly normal, peaceful and intellectual life. She had her eyes set on becoming a doctor, all ready for University life in her new and fully furnished apartment. Only she wasn't alone in it.
1. Prologue: Unlikely SOS

Good lord, I've also fallen into Love Live hell. Waiting for LP is suffering. I'm in T2 in the current NicoMaki event though! Let's see if it stays that way or if I fall off again to T3 when the event ends…I can actually see the latter happening. And do you know how hard it is to hold myself from using loveca to roll on the Bibi limited scouting? Ugh. Being Bibifag is suffering as well.

But anyway! Here's a story that's been playing in my mind for a while now. I've outlined most of it so at most I'll be updating…er, once every two weeks (maybe longer because work)? But I only really planned this to be 5-8 chapters. We'll see what happens though.

Enjoy.

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**The Science of Spectral Magnetism**

Prologue Chapter

The ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock blared into my ears as I scowled at the question before me. It had been like that for the past 25 minutes or so since I began my biochemistry homework. I irritatedly twirled my pen on the blank answer sheet, grunting all the while. This should be something I could answer no problem. But with current state of things, the formula is not materializing in my head.

"_After the cells undergo replication three times, what percentage of the cells will have both strands of DNA labeled_?" A voice read out loud, breaking my silent bout with the desk in front of me.

I always found science fascinating. It had answers to almost anything and still evolves in its discovery and innovation. I revel in such intelligent and profound matters. As such, things like the supernatural and spiritual yielded no interest in me. The thought is just silly, ludicrous—it lacks clarity that most sciences take pride in. I was supposed to think like that my entire life whilst pursuing a successful medical career, but I was met with a predicament I couldn't even begin to explain.

"Man, with questions like these, I'll never understand why some people want to be doctors."

"Leave me alone, I'm trying to study here." I blurted out, trying not to look at the source of that incredibly dumb statement.

"Why are you being such a grump? I was lightening up the mood since you've been burning holes in that paper with your pretty eyes for like half an hour now. It's not gonna help, you need to relax a little…" I zoned out for half of her melodramatic tirade. Hearing her voice gave me a headache; her whole _existence_ gave me a headache.

"…show a bit more life!"

I had to mentally laugh after hearing that last bit. She's the last person I want to hear talking about life.

"Say something, slanty eyes!"

It had only been two days since we met and this was her most articulate description of me, great. I can feel my mood dipping further. "Would it kill you to shut up for 5 minutes? Goddamnit ghost."

Ruby eyes mocked as it continued to stare me down. "You call me a ghost after asking if it would kill me to shut up?"

"Then stop talking about 'having life' when you're already dead." I countered, laying out my unspoken jab from earlier.

"Jerk." She grimaced and turned her back on me.

I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding. Somewhere deep down, I knew I was being mean. But I needed silence. Things have been pretty chaotic in the form of this...ghost. A loud and abrasive girl who looked like a middle schooler. She referred to herself as Nico. She all of a sudden appeared in my apartment two days ago and hasn't left since. She was as the books described a poltergeist to be; transparent, floating, lower part of the body hardly visible—the only thing that was different is that she wasn't necessarily ominous. Kinda cute even. But annoying. She was harmless otherwise.

Our interactions consisted mostly of arguments she almost always instigates herself. In such a short span of time knowing me! The nerve. She just won't leave me be. I tried all sorts of things to get rid of her. From an advocate of science, I ended up seeking help of countless exorcist, paranormalists-what have you, just to get her to accept death or something and pass on. But nothing has worked so far. Science failed to explain this phenomenon to me and I feel betrayed. My quiet life is suddenly riddled by this pompous apparition, who talks to me as if she was older yet often refers to herself in third person.

"I wonder if ghosts can die again." I hear her mumble. I can't help but feel offended at how retarded it sounded.

"Excuse me?" I asked, incredulously so.

"I was wondering if I could just kill myself or something so that I won't have to deal with this incredibly unwelcoming atmosphere," She still had her back on me, so it was hard to gauge her expression. I couldn't however miss the trembling in her voice. "I don't even know what I'm doing here. Why I died, how I died, where I died...I can't remember anything. And I'm stuck in this room, with someone who wishes nothing but my disappearance. Might as well, right?"

I watched as her form slowly floated to a corner of my room, I can feel the air of helplessness surrounding her. She didn't say anything afterwards, just stared at the walls as if it was art. I started to feel a bit guilty about my actions. It was true that she got on my nerves, but she never meant ill towards me. A few minutes had passed by the time I decided to try and say something, but whatever it was, I completely forgot. It was then that she finally faced me, a pained smile on her small frame. "But I guess no one wants a dead person in their room! Why the hell can you see me?" Her voice went a tone lower as she posed her question, she glared at me accusingly.

I thought about it for a while, "T-that's my line! I never wanted to see dead people." I found myself saying.

"No, really, why can you see me?" She asked, her face softening as it was replaced by confusion. She crossed her arms in contemplation. "I mean, you clearly have no idea who I am. Wouldn't I have haunted a family member instead? A friend? Maybe a lover? You're not any of those."

I had to admit, the ghost was making sense. Why is it that I was the only one to see her? Why couldn't her form leave my apartment? She tried to several times—doing that classic ghost thing running through walls—but would always find herself back in my room. I tried hard to remember if I pissed someone that looked like her so bad she held a grudge on me until death, but no such memory came up.

"There must some kind of reason we haven't considered yet." I answered after a long time of internal reasoning.

"Well you better help me find that out or I'll be stuck here with you your entire life...maybe." She gave a thoughtful look.

I gave a face of horror and disdain. There is just no way I would stand for that. I probably wouldn't be able to last a week with her.

"Or maybe you'd like that?" She gave a cutesy wink my way, her face smug and teasing.

"Hell no, you wish." I felt my face heat up despite blanching at the idea in my mind. She's a girl for heaven's sake.

"Nico doesn't know what to do when you react like that," She said, her tone suddenly dallying and sugary. "I'm sorry for being so cute."

"You…you don't make a speck of sense," I replied weakly, twirling the tips of my hair out of habit.

She didn't say anything after that, just letting out childish giggles every now and then. I frowned and stared at my answer sheet again, realising that somehow, my mind felt clearer, enlightened.

"That's a yes then?" As if she predicted it, the formula for my homework suddenly worked its way through my brain and onto my pen.

I breathed deeply and gathered my thoughts.

Why not. I could help her out. If only to free myself from this ridiculously unscientific encounter.

"I'll do it."

* * *

I rated it M for profanity and lewd jokes to come. And of course Humor and Romance are part of its genre. I just can't put everything in, heh.

Feel free to criticize!


	2. Chapter One: Unlikely Getting Along

Alright! Next chapter! Changing it back to T because I'm a fucking child and realised there isn't anything M about this thing.

Anyway, enjoy! I can't wait for the Maki event in February. I need more Pures!

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**The Science of Spectral Magnetism**

Chapter One

"You know, I've noticed this for a while," I watch her float around me as I nibbled on a melon bread I just bought.

"What?" I managed between chews.

"Why are you always eating store purchased food? What about cooking?"

A month has passed since I encountered this cheeky ghost named Nico, who one day appeared in my room with absolutely no reason why. She does not remember her life when she was still alive, so we agreed to help each other to find it out and let her spirit pass on. It's completely unscientific and unbelievable, but this was something I had to do to get my quiet and peaceful life back.

"You can't be lazy about this you know..."

There were several things we found out in the process-not vital clues to her memories, but more on the technicality of her presence. She initially couldn't leave my apartment, but when in direct contact with me, she can exist outside. Just as long as she holds on to me. Which was really weird since we couldn't really be apart from each other. There was an instance she did let go and instantly disappeared. I was admittedly panicked when it happened, but I found out later that she was back in my apartment instead of disappearing in my life for good. It was probably one of the most heart-stopping events that happened to me in a long time.

Another discovery was her uncharacteristic warmth. There were a lot of times when she annoys me so much and I get utterly frustrated that I want to hit her. And I do, only to remember I can't. But I noticed that for someone transparent and can pass through walls, she wasn't cold. She was actually pretty warm, the comforting warm akin to when you tuck yourself in bed on a winter night. That's something I never told her though.

"Heelloooo! Earth to slanty eyes!" Her voice snapped me out of my inner monologue. I often have to thank that I don't live in my old house anymore. I was the only one who could see her, and if I acted the way I did with her where people can see, they'd probably think I was insane. Maybe I am, and she was just a huge part of my insanity.

"What were you saying?" I tried to say as her fiery stare increasingly bothered me.

"Eating bread and convenience store food is unhealthy. You know this right? You're gonna be a doctor in a few years."

I felt like I was being scolded by a child just then. It was a surreal feeling, especially since it was from a spectre—one with features that can pass as my little sister no less.

"I don't need you to tell me that," I say, taking a few more bites on the bread I momentarily abandoned because of her constant nagging. "I don't know how to cook, and I haven't gotten the time to learn it."

Her face contorted to that of shock, and then defeat a second after. "Is that so."

"Wh-what's with that look?" I had an idea of why, but I found myself asking anyway.

"You have this really nice and spacious apartment, with such a handsome looking kitchen—complete with all the utensils you will ever need—and you don't know how to cook?! I'm offended!" She exclaimed dramatically, her eyes a bit teary eyed.

I rolled my eyes at her predictable reaction. There she goes again with her spontaneous envy of anything I do or own. Why was a ghost so fixated on such worldly matters? I have to remind her that she needs to rest in peace already and stop getting on my case.

"Why the hell would _you_ be offended? Get over yourself. I can get by without cooking."

She looked at me in utter disbelief, as if I had just said the most rudest thing in the world. "No good! That's simply no good!"

"What do you want from me?" I asked exasperated. "Can you please let me eat in peace?"

"No, you're not eating that. We'll be shopping." She commanded.

Oddly enough, I silently complied to it. I never understood what ran through her head and what she could remember, but wasn't she supposed to be forgetting these things? Did she die just recently?

Wait...

I mentally slapped myself for not thinking about it sooner. This could be my biggest lead yet. I have to remember looking through the news about recent deaths. For now though, I'll just humor her. If she really did know how to cook, I can probably learn from it.

"Shopping for what?" I finally asked.

"Well, for starters, what's your favorite food?" She said, her face focused yet curious.

"Well, I like tomatoes..."

"Hmm," She put a hand on her chin in contemplation, her eyes locking somewhere on the floor. I was half expecting she'd make fun of my choice of food, but she seemed to be fixated on what she can make out of it.

"It doesn't have to be tomatoes, it's fine." I supplied, wanting to get this over with.

Her face lit up as if a brilliant idea came to her. "I got it. Let's get going."

As I got myself up to head outside, she automatically positioned herself behind me, holding onto my expectant shoulders. It had become a standard procedure between the both of us to do this whenever I went out. Or whenever she wanted to tag along.

"To the nearby grocery store?" I asked.

"Whichever is convenient for you." She shrugged in reply.

Without another word, I went for the door and out of my apartment building. My neighborhood was a quiet, and admittedly quite luxurious area. It was a part of the city that accommodated the decently well-off families of the Chiyoda ward. As a going away gift for University, my father bought off an entire apartment suite for me, conveniently a 15 minute ride away using the expressway from the institution and only a station away from home and the hospital.

I walked briskly to my destination, my ghost of a companion unusually quiet. I stole a glance at her curious form, a look of cluelessness graced her pale features. It was at times like these that I thought she wasn't so bad. She was a bit foul mouthed and sassy, but she was never hostile or harmful. I learned to deal with her in the month we've spent together. It was still unscientific as all hell that I had to help a dead and aimless spirit, but I decided to go with the flow. Answers will come, and we'll both find our peace.

"Stop looking at me like that." She said, making a childish pout.

Realising my position, I reacted almost instantly. "I-I wasn't looking at you."

"You so were."

"So not."

Thankfully today was a weekday, making the area almost devoid of people. There wasn't a lot of people passing by to witness my odd argument with air.

"You so were!"

"Where's your proof?!"

Just when I thought she wasn't so bad, she takes it all back in one fell swoop. We probably won't ever get along at this rate.

"What kind of adult still thinks Santa is real? What a child!"

"Y-you better take that back, Santa is real! ...and for your information, between the two of us, you're more of a child!"

"Say that again, I dare you."

Without even realising, we reached the grocery store, still at each other's throat as our bickering evolved into sillier topics. I had to wonder again how we even tolerated each other for the past 30 days. I always get into heated squabbles with her without fail. What's funny is that despite all this, we couldn't be too far from one another, as if there was an invisible force pulling us together into a magnetic field. I mentally laughed remembering the iron alloy for that kind of reaction was called _al**nico**_.

"What are you smirking about?" She asked, her face unamused.

I tried to play it cool and shrugged the mirthful thought. Realising my thoughts must have somehow leaked out to my face.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She was silent for a few seconds, her eyes anywhere but on me and her face slightly flushed. I had to wonder how a ghost can look so flustered. Then again, for someone who's supposed to be dead, she showed more life than anyone I'd met.

We entered the establishment without much ado, a slightly awkward silence plaguing our atmosphere.

"A-alright, let's make use of my culinary skills. You should be thankful, slanty eyes!" She huffed proudly, despite faltering a bit when she began.

I replied with a glare, irked by the fact that she never addressed me properly. "Why do you call me that? It's not nice."

"Eye for an eye. You never exactly addressed me properly either." She quietly explained, her eyes narrowing at me.

I thought about it for a moment; I knew her name and everything, but I only ever called her 'hey' or 'ghost'. Realising my error, I reiterated. "Well then call me by my name. I'll call you by yours, better?"

She bobbed her head to the side with a questioning look. "What_ is_ your name?"

I looked at her skeptically, trying to make out a reason why she hasn't found out by now, after a month of pestering my once peaceful life. Even I knew what to call her, for crying out loud.

As if reading my mind, she said; "Don't give me that look. We never met on good terms," a slight pause. "You were _so_ grumpy and unapproachable, Nico had to think of a way to get you to notice me!"

"...it's Maki. Nishikino Maki. That's my name." She was about to rant more, so I felt like I had to interrupt her. "I'm sorry, I'll try to pay attention from now on... Nico."

A look of conflict and shock briefly flashed her pale face. Another second passed and the pale shade was replaced by pink.

"I-if you insist! T-then it can't be helped...M-Maki."

I can't tell if it's the stuttering or the way she pronounced my name that hit something with me, but it felt really gratifying. I will never tell her that though.

"Well, shall we go and shop, little chef?" I teased.

"Who're you calling little?"

We might not ever get along, nevertheless, we've more or less gotten used to each other. That might be enough for now.

* * *

Aaand, done! Still too short, but well, work takes a lot out of you. And SIF. Oops.

Tell me what you think? The mystery will slowly unfold from here on. See you next time!


	3. Chapter Two: Unlikely Revelation

Maki event! But it's a cool, I need pures...but I'll probably try to get into T2 so I could idolize. Have you seen the Valentine Stories on JP? Everyone is giving chocolates to each other! Harasho! Of course Nico and Maki give each other chocolates, which is ooooookaaaaaayyyyyyy. I'm ascending.

Also mfw the rating for this is still M. I changed it last time! Wut? Ahem.

So yeah, next chapter time. It reveals quite a bit, and no Nico. But well, I dunno, enjoy? Belated Happy Valentines or something.

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**The Science of Spectral Magnetism**

Chapter Two

The hunger for answers had always been a prerequisite of many sciences. The more I treated this whole situation as some kind of scientific research made the pursuit of Nico's past a lot more fun, almost like an adventure. There were so many mysteries surrounding her that a whole day won't ever be enough time to solve the puzzle. Needless to say, the past few months have been a lot more fruitful than my initial blind searching. I now stood in front of the establishment that more or less contained all the things I wanted to know. It was funny that it was a place I was very familiar with.

"Ah! How nice of you to drop by! How have you been?" Nagayama Minami the head nurse greeted me as I entered the reception area.

"I've been well Nagayama-san, how about yourself?" I greeted back. "How are things here? It's been a while."

"It has. Things are more or less the usual. Nishikino-sensei had been more involved in operations than usual," She explained.

I raised a brow in question. "Papa has?"

"Yes, but I don't think it's something you should worry about, young miss. We just need more hands is all."

"Alright..." Papa and mama hadn't informed me about this particular info, I could have helped like I usually did in the past. Then again, they haven't really been saying anything ever since I started University.

"What brings you here today, young miss?" Nagayama-san asked, noticing my sudden silence. I nearly forgot what I came here for too, yikes.

"Oh, right..." I cleared my throat. "Do...do we have the records for the recent deaths for the hospital?"

The golden haired woman stared at me curiously. As if I asked for the most unusual thing—and maybe it is. Who suddenly comes in to ask for deaths?

"Well, yes. I'll try to look into it...for how long should we backtrack?" She asked, surprisingly accommodating to my odd request.

"About...4 months back perhaps?" I was unsure myself. "Actually, make it 5. Sorry for the trouble."

"Understood young miss." She turned around and was about to dart for what I asked, but she faced me again, her eyes questioning. "I don't mean to pry miss...but what do you need it for?"

I can't tell if the uneasiness showed on my face, but I managed to think up of an excuse to cover this very crazy expedition.

"A science thesis."

"I see. Please have a seat over there, this might take a bit." She explained before walking out the reception desk, leaving a fellow nurse to hold her place. I gingerly walked myself towards the waiting area. Readying myself for the waiting game.

I took one of the many seats and let out a heavy breath. It's not that I was tired, but I felt like I've been running about ever since I met with the day that impish ghost appeared in my room. I was pretty determined to get rid of her initially, and I still do want her to come to terms with her death—but with less hostility than I treated it in the beginning.

Nico was, to put it simply, a very educational companion. She knew of things—surprisingly fun things I otherwise could have ignored my whole life. She was also very domestic, a trait I was able to learn a lot from. I'm proud to say I can now cook a hearty meal as opposed to getting Chinese take-outs or convenience store food—which was the lifestyle I imposed on myself after I left home and prior to meeting her. Having her around, as much as I hate to admit, made every day eventful. It was one of the handful of things I'll never tell her though.

As these things ran through my head, I failed to notice that there was someone standing before me.

"Red," A little boy said, his index finger pointing at me almost accusingly. He wore a hospital gown that told me he was a patient. Something about the hue of his eyes peculiarly reminded me of her.

"C-can I help you?" I tried to say, my inexperience with children showing.

"Red," The boy repeated, staring at me as if I was some kind of criminal.

"Hey, Koutarou! What are you doing?! That's not nice!" An exasperated voice exclaimed to my left, most likely calling out to this boy before me. As if to torment me, it was a voice that oddly reminded me of her.

"Koko-neechan..." The boy muttered, looking at the direction of the voice. I followed suit and saw a scarily similar form of the Nico I know—only a lot younger.

The girl held the little boy's hand and looked at me apologetically. "I'm really sorry about the trouble miss. My brother hasn't been out of the room for a while..."

"Red." I blinked several times as the boy continued to point at me. Even he looked similar now that I think about it.

"Gosh Koutarou, what are you even saying? Don't point at people."

In an effort not to look stupid at the sight of a younger looking Nico speaking in a polite and courteous manner—which was totally unlike the boisterous girl who yapped about in my house like there was no tomorrow—I gave them a smile. At least the most natural one I could muster.

They both stared at me for a while as if they were studying a painting. I felt myself sweat coldly at the attention I was given. In spite of myself not being good at remembering or even caring about children, these two looked scarily similar to the ghost in my apartment. Could they be related? The similarity was uncanny.

"Maki-neechan?" The girl called out to me.

I stiffened in response. They know me? I suddenly felt bad for not remembering them. But I need to save face here, I somehow felt that I shouldn't let them down.

"Yes, it's me. How have you been?" I tried, wanting to punch myself for sounding so weird.

The pair only looked at me blankly, as if they knew I was only bluffing.

"I'm glad you look well," The older of the two said, her look rather wistful. "I apologise again for my brother."

"I-it's no problem..." I stammered out, not really sure what else to say.

"Well then, please excuse us." She gave a small smile and led her younger brother towards the left wing. My eyes followed until my attention was called out by Nagayama-san.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I have what you need," The older woman said, holding up a heap of documents. Still a bit surprised by my prior encounter, I only managed to nod in acknowledgement. "Ah, the Yazawa family, been a while since you've seen them, is that right?"

I swallowed. "I know them?"

Nagayama-san stared at me, a look of worry becoming evident in her mature features. "Yes? During the times you've come to help out in the hospital, they were the family you spent the most time on." She placed the stack of papers onto one of the empty seats and sat beside me.

"When was this?" I asked, wondering why such an important detail escaped my memory.

"Roughly around your high school days? I'm afraid my memory is not as good as it used to be." She chuckled, her voice apologetic.

Just then, something clicked. Something about the words she uttered made me remember, albeit vaguely. I was a second year then, it was around summer, the busiest time of the year in the hospital. Papa had to formally request for my help, so I did.

"Yazawa..." I absently murmured.

"You remember now, miss?" Nagayama-san asked, seeming more eager than I was about this whole thing.

"I think so," I answered. "It was...3 years ago, I think? I don't remember what they were here for though..."

The head nurse was silent for a moment, I silently anticipated what she was going to say next, all the while trying my hardest to remember the past.

"The youngest Yazawa had cardiomyopathy."

"Had?" I repeated, all of a sudden the information too much for me to register. Cardiomyopathy. The deterioration of the heart muscle. Making it difficult to pump blood and deliver it to the rest of the body. It often leads to heart failures. I shuddered at the thought of the boy from earlier having this sickness, suffering from it.

"Yes. The surgery was successful and he's currently just going through therapy. He should be discharged in a few weeks."

"Surgery?" I asked, waiting for an answer I probably already knew.

"A heart transplant." She explained simply.

I smiled, feeling triumphant over the fact that science saved a life. Glad over the fact that the hard part was over for such a young boy. Thankful for the kind soul who offered their own heart to help the child live.

"It's a shame," She said, putting a palm to her face. "The eldest Yazawa could have been here to celebrate for it."

"The eldest Yazawa?" I felt my eyes widen in surprise and, strangely, expectance.

Nagayama-san nodded, her apparent attachment to the person I asked for showing. My curiosity turned up a notch at this reaction; somehow dreading it at the back of my mind.

"Do I...do I know her as well?"

"Funny as it sounds, you have never seen each other." She explained fondly, as if she was expecting it. "What I'm sure of is that she's a few years older than you, and whenever she's around, you never are and vice versa."

Everything was falling into place. Unless I was sorely mistaken, my next question would be the game-breaker for this wild goose chase.

"Where is she?"

The head nurse frowned solemnly, looking at the direction where the two children from earlier walked.

"She...she died. Five months ago," She said in a weary tone. "And the eventual donor for the heart transplant her brother needed."

* * *

DUN DUN DUN~!

Bleh.

I can't tell if it's shorter than usual. But I can feel it's a bit predictable. I dunno though, you decide.

So far I've neglected adding any of the other cast in here, but somehow Nagayama Minami from LLSIF is here?! What kind of atrocity?! But you know, I always imagined she'd be a great nurse for some reason. There'll probably be more of those normies being thrown here and there as the story progresses...and of course, μ's too! Thanks for reading so far!

Feel free to leave me a line on PM or a review to shit on this, haha.


	4. Chapter Three: Unlikely Flashback

I...got in T1 in the Nico event! Triple the the Nicos!

I ended up in T3 for the Eli event in JP though, oh well…

But medfes was great, had tons of fun!

Ahem.

This is the main reason why this came out late as it is. My apologies.

Right! Next Chapter time! This'll be longer than my usual chapters, and it's Nico-centric. Yay! I mean, it's the perfect chapter number to write about the dead, right (if you count the prologue as chapter 1 at least)? /Note: 4 means death, etc/

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Science of Spectral Magnetism**

Chapter Three

_I see the ends of the sky_

_The distant world that nobody knows about_

_Surely the small stars shine_

_In the same night sky_

"Whoa...I picked the perfect night for this. Lucky!" An excited ebony haired lass said as she looked through her camera lens a vivid sea of lights down below, representing the perpetually busy city of Tokyo. True to her junior's description, the view from the overarching hilltop by the Hibiya park was the perfect spot for a good star photography. Yazawa Nico grinned in satisfaction as she took a snap of the scenery.

Being an arts major in photography, she developed a habit of just snapping away with her trusty camera at every moment or instance she deemed was something that should be captured. She was admittedly biased to certain motifs so her pictures consisted mostly of specific photographic subjects—one of them were the constellations and another were idols. She loves idols, very much so that it was an aspiration she bore almost all her life.

_Almost_ because she ended up not becoming the idol she wanted to be. One who stood on a big and dazzling stage, dancing and singing to the melody of love and life, giving the people who listened the energy and happiness to give their all for tomorrow and their future—that kind of idol. In the grand scheme of things, that probably was for the best, she had to accept that fact with all the strength she could muster; fighting off her stubborn and misplaced pride. It was no secret that she was reluctant in just letting go of a dream that she worked towards all this time.

But some dreams will only remain dreams, she needed to set it aside; understand the difference between ambition and reality. Besides, it was _silly_, she was just not the right person to provide such positive feelings to anyone—a brooding and selfish failure of a sister. Not everyone was as fortunate to even be aware of their objectives, she was already lucky in that regard. Of course she was.

"Koutarou would love this…" She absently murmured to herself as she slowly set up a tripod.

Yazawa Kotarou was only 5 when he had been diagnosed of cardiomyopathy. There was no way of knowing about it prior because he had been born with a record of having a healthy, normal heart—until one day he was just found fainted on the floor by Nico. She remembered crying so hard, running frantically towards the hospital as she carried her lifeless sibling's body. Cursing herself for being so slow, for being athletically weak, for being so self absorbed that she failed to notice something this important. She remembered praying to every god she knew to help her get there on time, to ensure her brother will be okay. Truly enough, she was able to make it and the boy was attended to before it was too late. She was forever grateful that there there had been a hospital nearby.

No matter how many Nico Nico Smile she did to reassure her little sisters that things will be alright, she had only trembled. She knew she had to be strong for them, but she had only felt an immense weight crushing her. She was only still in high school then, there was a limit to what she could do. She was no adult. Kokoro and Kokoa held both of her hands and squeezed it, their own way of saying they understand, reassuring her that she wasn't alone in this. Nico felt her eyes water up again, but this time with a mix of appreciation and relief. The dread of loss had not been only hers to feel. They were young, but both girls knew how it was when their father had passed away.

"N-no good, I'm starting to remember…" The onyx haired girl said as she shook her head, holding back tears that were forming in her eyes. "I'm here to take pictures of the stars! Get it together, Nico…"

It was a clear night, not a cloud to be seen. The moon was round and big as it shined brightly among the sea of deep blue. Nico found herself impressed by the fact that there were stars at all. Light pollution was always a problem, and big cities like Tokyo hardly ever have night skies this pretty. In the past, she had to travel to the Kansai region just for it. She should be grateful to have the fortune of witnessing this rare occurrence and beauty, but here she was, lamenting over the past again like a broken record.

Whenever she was alone and it was silent, her thoughts almost always go back to that time whether she liked it or not. It was as if she were sleepwalking through life, as if she had already died but not yet noticed. But unlike normal sleepwalks, the scenes were vivid, like it only happened yesterday. She would go through the feeling of fear and helplessness again and again until she catches herself and stop. It was for this reason that she tried her best to occupy herself with activities.

Her siblings loved looking at the stars, as much she did in fact. Koutarou especially loved it, any picture she took would make the young boy happy. It was in this vein that Nico decided to take up photography for College. She didn't plan it at all, nor did she think she was exceptionally talented at capturing good photos, but she realised that in this medium she would be able to make someone smile, just like the idol she aspired to be. It wouldn't be so bad, would it?

She knew she was not a brilliant student—she excelled at nothing. As much as she hates to admit, her love for idols had been the only thing remotely remarkable about her. Her extensive collection of idol merchandise were the only things she had been proud of, and even then, it was such a niche hobby that it brought nothing to the table but weird looks from people who did not appreciate the craft.

Regardless, her mother had insisted that she pursue her goals, whether it was being an idol or a photographer—she assured her child that she shouldn't worry about the family and just do what she wants. Her mother had never pressured her for anything, only gave her encouragements to do her best, without holding back. Nico remembered hating how her mother singlehandedly took it upon herself to do everything on her own, but she also thought it was really cool. She was a competitive person by nature though, and she didn't want her mama to be the only one to look cool.

Even if being cool meant she had to give up on her life long dream of becoming an idol.

It had been a blur, but she remembered selling all her idol merchandise, begrudgingly so. Other than giving up her dream of becoming an idol, this had been one of the most difficult decisions she made in her life. She knew she had to do it, she did not have the luxury to be sentimental or idealistic about her idol love or her life anymore—besides, doing this would not only help her start anew, it would also help her shoulder funding her pursuit of higher education. She needed to steel herself and become practical. Giving up was the mature thing to do.

From January of her senior year in high school until the month of her graduation in March, all Nico had done was work part-time and look after her brother—of course while making sure she had passed all her subjects and getting accepted into the University she had picked. Although her grades weren't all that great, she managed to pull it off. Being accepted in Tokyo Polytechnic University felt like a dream for her. Not because she had been dreaming of studying there, she actually didn't. But the fact that she made it into a University at all was something she could feel proud of.

She secretly thanked her crimson-haired inspiration for that.

_So don't forget_

_In just a short amount of time_

_A miracle engraves its way to your heart_

_Gently waiting for tomorrow_

A strong gust of wind startled Nico from her musings. She felt a lone cherry blossom petal land on her nose in process. The spring season had already started in full force, but the wind was still a bit chilly. Draping a cotton jacket over her shoulders, she smiled gently at the memory that crossed her mind. No matter how long it had been, the recollection of a beautiful and headstrong girl always managed to invade her thoughts—reminding her of that fateful encounter three years ago that shaped her into how she was today.

* * *

As a graduating senior in high school, Nico stressed about many things, namely: schoolwork, college entrance examinations, taking care of her siblings, her several part time jobs, Christmas, her hair, and other things she's currently forgetting. It drove her insane. In these times, keeping up the cheery and happy persona was exhausting, she used it in almost every situation that it had become second nature. Deceitful as it was, it wasn't easy to stop. No one ever batted an eyelash anyway. On her own however, she was nowhere near as cute or charismatic—she was a hugely disagreeable grump. Liking sweet and cute things contrasted to her habit of hiding away in high or dark places to either reflect or brood. If her father saw her now, he would probably be disappointed at how jaded she had become.

Wandering around the hospital at night was not something she would normally do, especially since she always found the place scary. But Nico felt like letting herself go after a tiring day from school, work and taking care of siblings. Probably because it was the weekend, the head nurse she recently befriended was nowhere to be found. She initially thought she could just idly chat with her until she felt satisfied, but alas. The place was huge and eerily quiet, she saw nurses walk by her occasionally but that was it. At some point in her aimless strolling, she heard a faint singing voice. At first, she was frightened. But after listening carefully, she realised it couldn't be a ghost. Following where the sound came from, she discovered the hospital rooftop.

The voice was clearer, full and powerful. She liked it. Somehow it made her feel a lot more relaxed. At the last step of the stairs, she paused, savoring the melody gracing her ears—it would definitely stop once she opens the door. But she was curious, she wanted to put a face to this brilliant voice. She breathed deeply and held the knob, turned it as lightly as possible, trying to make sure she doesn't make a noise and distract the nightingale as she sang.

A sense of triumph filled her when the singing did not show any signs of stopping while she swung the door open. She continued to close her eyes, just taking in the lullaby as much as she could.

_Tender wishes _

_Wavering thoughts… That's right…_

_It's not only gently being by your side_

_Change is beginning. Do you understand?_

Nico opened her eyes and blinked several times, realising the song had stopped.

_D-did I get caught listening in?!_

"Hmm, that doesn't sound right either…" She heard a voice murmur.

A girl with distinctive red hair, presumably around her age, stood on the edge of a slightly elevated platform, scribbling on a notebook. If she just barged in without knowing what was actually happening, the scenario would have looked like a suicidal attempt in which she wrote her last will before jumping off. It wasn't likely, but she really hoped that wasn't the case. Surprising her would be dangerous, so she stayed immobile, just studying her intensely without saying a word. Because hey, she was very pretty.

After a while, the redhead finally looked in her direction, most likely feeling eyes on her. Confirming there really was someone looking at her, her face slowly became flustered. Nico found it strangely amusing, adorable even.

"H-how long have been standing there?!" The girl stuttered.

"Um, for a while, I guess?" She found herself answering. "I didn't want to startle you. You might fall, you know?"

Her faced burned that it almost matched the colour of her hair. How dare she decide to underestimate her sense of balance? Even though she was a kid, it was still embarrassing to have someone listen and stare at her for so long. It did not help that the girl was not in the least apologetic, smiling sheepishly like she did.

"T-that's none of your business," She jumped down from the platform.

"Geez, I was very considerate for your life there. Rude much?" Nico crossed her arms in irritation. Her awe and fascination diminishing as the seconds passed.

"You could have announced you were there! You didn't have to stay quiet or stare at me for so long!"

"I—I wasn't staring _that_ long!" She huffed, feeling her cheeks reddening. "And I didn't want to interrupt your singing so…"

The two of them stayed silent for quite sometime, trying their best not to look each other in the eye. Despite the chilly December wind, Nico didn't feel that cold. Seeing the girl's face properly made her feel conscious somehow, and her reactions were unimaginably fetching.

"...it's not even completed yet…" The scarlet haired lass timidly voiced out, breaking the the ice of their standstill.

Her ears perked up at this. "What?"

"Th-the song...it's not done. I've been struggling with it for a while." She explained, hugging the notebook to her chest.

"Huh…" Nico was not sure why, but she felt enthralled. She unconsciously walked closer to her in the process. "Why do you think you're having trouble with it?"

Oddly enough, the amethyst eyed girl felt comfortable enough to share her story. She was a very cautious person, she could tell from how she carried herself. Yet here they were, still complete strangers to each other, but with an indescribable bond drawing them together more than they expect to understand in such a short period of time. It felt surreal, but it also felt amazing. It replenished her in a way she could not describe. What she could ascertain however was how she enjoyed herself with this mysterious and sassy girl. After a while, they just sat down on the concrete floor without a care about dirtying their clothes.

"You'll inherit a hospital?!" Nico could feel her eyes almost bulge out from the surprise. She wasn't sure if she should be amazed or jealous. "I-isn't that great then? Your future is already assured!"

Instead of a positive reaction, the red haired girl gave her a confused look. "Is it really? It somehow feels like my life's decided for me...I mean, I'm thankful and everything, but…"

"Well, is becoming a doctor something you see yourself doing in the future?"

"M-my parents expects me to be one, so I guess…"

"No, no, I'm asking if you could see this yourself. Like, is it something you want to do?" Nico wasn't sure if she was putting a bit of her self in the question. She had decided on giving up something she wanted to do in place of something she needed to do just recently, she knew how tough it was. If this girl was having the same concern, perhaps she can be of help.

The vermilion haired girl just played with her locks, her face contorted in indecisiveness.

"I don't know...I like creating music, I also love playing the piano...but I don't want to disappoint mama and papa either..."

The earnestness in her voice somehow neutralized the greediness of it all. Would she be as greedy if her family was a little well off? She could probably do it, she looked like a really talented girl, and she had the financial capability to maintain both—all she had to do was build the resolve for it. "Then that's fine, isn't it? You can always do both," Nico closed her eyes as she crossed her arms. "If you have the power to do it..seize the chance? There are people who only had to choose one over the other."

"...I have to admit, on many occasions, I never had to decide on anything. I was given things and I just accepted them. Some I didn't even like or asked for, but I took them, I was grateful. If I were to follow what you're suggesting though, it'll be the first time I'll be deciding something for myself."

"Does it scare you?"

"A bit."

Nico planted her palms on the floor and leaned on them as she stared at the dark sky. "You'll be fine."

The red haired girl giggled slightly.

"You just met me. How would you know that?"

"Instinct?" She said with a lopsided grin. "You seem like the type of person who would be fine no matter what you decide on, that's how I feel."

Whether it was the temperature or something else, the lavender eyed girl felt heat rising up to her cheeks.

"Wh-what's with that...you're weird."

"You know, I wanted to be an idol," Nico stood up, she held up a clenched fist in a gesture of determination. "I wanted to make everyone smile, sing them songs and encourage them to do their best all the time."

"...wanted?"

"I'm not very lucky. I had to give it up," She explained. "It's a silly dream anyway…"

It took all she could to hold down the tears that were forming. Just when she thought she was finally over it and accepted her new decision, being reminded of it somehow made her feel insecure and vulnerable—that she probably could have thought about it better, that maybe she didn't have to give it up. Absorbed with these thoughts, she hadn't realised that the scarlet haired girl stood up as well and positioned herself opposite her, looking straight into her eyes with a determined and reassuring look.

"It's not silly."

"What?"

"I think it's great. I'm indecisive and only think about what I want, but you...you want all that for so many. I don't know why it had to end up that way, but giving that up must have been a great hurdle. I think it's amazing that you were able to decide and stick with it."

She wasn't sure if she should be laughing at all of this. How she can be so open and emotional in front of a stranger, someone she met just a few minutes ago. Nico didn't even know her _name_ but there she was, tearing up like a child from her mere words of encouragement.

Just then, a vibrating sound brought her out of her impassioned moment.

_Crap, how long has it been?_

"I-is something wrong?" The scarlet haired girl asked, a look of bafflement on her face.

"I...well, my brother's confined in this hospital, I just went out for a bit to get some fresh air since he was asleep anyway…" She explained, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Understanding dawned on the other girl's face. She almost forgot they were in the hospital.

"Oh."

"I-I gotta go...um, thank you. You have a great voice, and I just know you'll be a great doctor someday too. So just keep going, okay? See you!"

She scrambled towards the rooftop door awkwardly before she heard the redhead call out to her.

"Wait!"

Nico wordlessly looked back to face her once again, an expectant look on her.

The taller girl hesitated for a second. "If you continue to make people smile, you never really gave up on it. You're an idol in whatever you do. Please remember that."

Nico could see the small smile on the girl's face as she said this. It was beautiful. She couldn't put into words how elated she felt just then. The sudden urge to give her a super idol treatment rose in her chest, she felt her fingers forming the sign she knew so well.

"Nico Nico Smile ! I promise to always do my best and make everyone smile!"

After one last look, the ruby eyed girl ran off. In her wake was a dumbfounded girl who was still speechless over her antics.

"Pff...what a weirdo." She chuckled in amusement.

* * *

They never saw each other again after that. She tried going to the rooftop several times but was left with nothing but a piece of paper with a bit of drabble on it. It was the only memento she had of the crimson haired girl. At least, that's what she liked to believe; the handwriting was reminiscent of her impression of the mysterious girl. After three years, Nico still kept it in her care—maybe wrote a few things on it too.

Finally finished setting up her equipment, she stared at the city lights once again, nothing but bright and homely colours carpeted the landscape, like stars on land. Positioning herself, she started taking pictures of the sky, excited at the thought of showing her work to her family as well as her underclassmen.

"This night will be the witness to the great Niconi's super photography of the very rare starry sky of Tokyo!"

...

The next day, rain had decided to pour down. Hard. Nico did not usually mind when it happened, but today she felt irritated that it did. After working on the pictures she took from yesterday, she fell asleep in a very uncomfortable position and woke up with a nasty stiff neck. She had a class in an hour, and was supposed to meet up with two of her juniors at the Kudanshita station, but it had been 20 minutes past their meeting time, and she was stuck on one of the bus stops to shield herself from the downpour—with 25 other people. She grumpily twiddled with her phone, texting one of her girls she was meeting up to go ahead without her. Running in this weather would just be stupid, especially since she never had an umbrella.

Droplets of water dripped from her soaked hair in a 3 second interval. The mingling breaths of the people stuck in the bus stop enforced the moist building up in the air. She felt impatient and was considering to just make a run for it. Thankfully, the rain was slightly letting up, giving her the chance to do so.

The ground was slippery and a sizable amount of people opted to wait the rain out, making the streets fairly empty. Cars lined up on the road, a pretty slow moving traffic keeping them stationery. Whether it was the road or the side streets, Tokyo would always be busy, in the ever changing society, it was the absolute constant. In her 20 years of living in this city, she was always amazed at how fast paced it was. But today, it felt like time momentarily stopped for just for her.

The station was only a few blocks away, it would only take her 5 minutes even if she walked, so she did. Heavy raindrops were reduced to light drizzles, ushering the once idle crowd to start moving again, as if a big green light flashed before them. Nico would have preferred to walk alone for little bit longer but she had her fun. Marveling at an empty street was something only she would appreciate anyway.

She could feel her phone vibrating from her jacket pocket just then, probably a reply to her message earlier. She pulled out the phone and checked anyway, and surely enough, the message came from one Koizumi Hanayo, her shy and mild mannered underclassman. Although that was the case in hierarchy, Nico considered the girl a very good friend. Both her and her childhood friend Hoshizora Rin. She met the two on her second year of College, and they've been hanging out since then. Despite her petite nature, she loved eating. Both Hanayo and Rin shared that enthusiasm with her so most of their time was spent hunting good food places around Akihabara, Chiyoda, Kanda and Jimbocho.

**We haven't reached the station either Nico-chan, got held up by the rain too. ;;****（ﾉ****´д****｀）****;;**

**Let's just meet at the station?**

"Papa, papa, my ball fell…" She heard a child say as she sent a reply. They were at a pedestrian crossing, the traffic light was still on red so the people just hurriedly made their way across.

"Leave it alone, we'll just get you a new one." A tall man in a suit answered his kid who only carelessly held onto the fabric of his pants as he walked.

She was close to her destination, the Kudanshita station was within sight. She only needed to walk a bit further past the crossroad to get there. But as much as she wanted to keep to herself, her eyes wandered momentarily towards the direction of the conversation she overheard. Almost all of the people had already crossed and the traffic light was close to going back to the go signal, but a little boy still ambled alone on the road, as if looking for something.

Nico clicked her tongue. "Hey kid! That's dangerous!" She said as she went after the absent-minded child who only looked up at her with a teary eyed face and a nose dripping with snot.

"My ball…"

Her mind raced when she saw the traffic light turn green. She picked up the child and ran back to the side of the road. Traffic accidents in the city happen all the time, and she didn't want one to happen if she can help it.

"Listen, the ball can wait. We can't have you wander around without your mom and dad, okay?"

"Papa…"

"Yeah, this is a problem. I don't think your dad noticed he lost you," She sighed, she was really going to be late for class today. She ended up bringing the young boy to the nearest police office and bought him a ball too so that he would calm down. The questions for the report took longer than she expected so she texted Hanayo of what happened and told her again to go ahead. Things just weren't going right today.

As it drizzled the entire time, she was technically soaked. Nico felt slightly sick as she walked out of the police station, rubbing her nose to prevent a sneeze from coming.

"I could really use something warm…"

As the thoughts of warm and aromatic miso soup played enticingly in her mind, she did not notice a speeding car going towards her direction in desperate strides. The next thing she knew, she was rolling on the hood of a car, smashing into the windshield right after. Its impact rendered Nico frozen as she hurled helplessly down the road and landed headfirst on the asphalt. The vehicle did not stop and just left the raven haired girl sprawled on the ground, bleeding. A car chase broke out, and she obliviously walked into the middle of it.

Pain and confusion dominated her thoughts. She couldn't tell in which direction she was facing, nor from where the voices came, but she could somehow discern individuals coordinating to direct traffic; mostly likely away from her. She heard phones click to life from those calling emergency services. She could feel herself swimming in warm and sticky blood—her own blood. She couldn't breathe, all she felt was pain all over her body. Her eyes felt heavy, it was difficult to get them to open.

_Am I dying here?_

She wanted to let out a chuckle but ended up coughing out blood. The faint cry of sirens were getting louder, closer.

_...that's too bad..._

Nico felt like crying, but she hardly felt anything anymore. Maybe she was crying, she just couldn't tell. Death was a delicate subject for her, it was something she seldom thought about—it took her father away, almost took Koutarou away—yet here she was, hovering between life and death, the numbness spreading in her body. Will the ambulance arrive in time to help her? She didn't feel like hoping anymore.

Amongst the low murmurs that grew louder as the second passed, she started hearing the panicked voice of Hanayo. Was she imagining things? How did she find her?

"Nico-chan! Oh no...oh no, Rin-chan..."

Her voice was shakier than usual, as if she was crying. She could feel the meek girl hold her hand tightly, to a point where it actually hurts.

"H...Hana...yo…" She wanted to look at the young girl, tell her it'll be alright, but it was difficult.

"N-Nico-chan! You shouldn't talk…the ambulance will be here soon, so just hang on for a bit longer..." The chestnut haired girl coaxed.

"Couldn't it be a bit faster?!" Rin exclaimed, her voice was just as shaky.

"Hanayo...Rin...my heart...give it...to Koutarou," It took everything she had in her to get those words out, she gave Hanayo's hand one last squeeze as she did so. "Be happy...okay?"

Hanayo and Rin stared at each other in bewilderment. Their friend talked as if she wouldn't make it. It scared them.

_Mama, Kokoro, Kokoa, Koutarou, Rin, Hanayo…I'm sorry…_

Nico imagined herself dying without any regrets, she did everything in her power so that this was the case, but in the end, she did have one after all—and she can't do anything about it. Not anymore.

_This is it for me._

Hanayo's eyes dilated in horror as she felt Nico's hand loosen under her grip.

"No...no...Nico-chan...Nico-chan!"

* * *

"Thank you so much for your time." A scarlet haired girl bowed her head slightly and slipped on her sneakers.

"You're always welcome, Maki-chan. Visit us again, okay? I'm sure the kids would be delighted." A ruby eyed woman who was still in her business clothes saw her off the foyer, a small smile on her face.

"Thank you, I'll take you up on that offer Yazawa-san. I'll be heading out now."

"Take care."

Closing the door behind her, Maki exhaled deeply. She had no idea how long she had been holding it, but she hoped the family she just talked to didn't notice. She stared at the nameplate of the run-down apartment building and thought of the ebony haired ghost named Nico. She had successfully unraveled the mystery about her, and learned a lot more. She should be proud, she should be happy, but all she felt at the moment was an odd twinge of melancholy.

"It's gonna be hard facing her now."

* * *

Chapter dooone! Yay.

Okay, so the stuff from three years ago's order might be a taaad bit confusing, so the simplest chart about this would be:

Nico POV: Summer - Koutarou incident→ Autumn - Part-time/come to terms with giving up being an idol/sell idol merch/decision to go to College→ Winter - Meets Maki

Maki POV: Summer - Help out at the hospital/meets Yazawa family → Autumn - Unknown → Winter - Meets Nico

Here's how Nico looks like by the way, just for reference (drew it myself, apologies for the horrible drawing and camera quality):

Nico in College - p u u dot s h/gNNop/2049b604fc dot j p g

Ghost Nico - p u u dot s h/gNNpd/80d824dbcc dot j p g

Because I can't really put the actual link in here, copy those, remove the spaces and change the dot into actual dots. → "." this dot. It should work.

Yes, this whole thing was just a day before Nico died, a few flashbacks and a forward, haha. I use _italics _a lot, some of them just to emphasize a word, sometimes they're thoughts. The weird _italicized _paragraphs throughout the story is the lyrics from the song 'Hane wa Shitte Shimatta no?'. It's sung by Nico, try listening!

It'll be relevant to the story too, so...dun dun dun!

Sorry for the lateness, this time I got caught up with the Rin and Kotori event...tee-hee! I hope the length makes up for it! See you next time~.


	5. Chapter Four: Unlikely Selflessness

Oh my! It's been a month since the last update? I'm sorry. ;;

Been busy with work lately, and sif. Whoops. I'm totally ready for warmachine Umi, come at me bro! I think it's gonna be Maki for the next event. ZURUI YO MAGNETIC TODAY WILL BE PART OF TOKENS IN A FEW MONTHS (in JP)! HYPE!

Oh yeah, just reposting, references and whatnot.

Nico in College - p u u dot s h/gNNop/2049b604fc dot j p g

Ghost Nico - p u u dot s h/gNNpd/80d824dbcc dot j p g

Because I can't really put the actual link in here, copy those, remove the spaces and change the dot into actual dots. → "." this dot. It should work.

E-erm, anyway...here is chapter 4. Again, hope the length makes up for this lateness.

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Science of Spectral Magnetism**

Chapter Four

"I'm home…" I listlessly announced to my empty apartment. The ghost Nico was nowhere to be found, and maybe I prefer that for a little bit longer. I had just learned of her past and was even able to talk to her family. People who I actually interacted with before, but could only vaguely remember. It's to be expected though, after helping so many patients all these years, I don't even expect to remember anyone at all.

The Yazawa family was, to put it simply, a solemn family. With Nico as my only basis, I'd have pegged them for a loud and rowdy bunch, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. On top of that, everyone looked just like her that it felt a bit eerie. Two of the girls acted too mature for their age, and the boy still acted as if he was a toddler. The mother had dark circles under her eyes and looked worryingly exhausted. It felt as if their gaiety was taken away from them somehow, and I can't really blame them.

All of them spoke so fondly of Nico, so much that I wondered if they were really talking about the same girl I know. Then again, I have only known her for 5 months, and we antagonized each other 90% of the time. I still can't believe she's two years older than me, all this time I thought she was a middle schooler. To think that she was actually such a responsible older sister, and has been through a lot made me feel bad about how I acted towards her. She might not remember any of it, but the fact that I was disrespectful made me feel a lot worse that I treated her the way I did.

"Oh, you're here Maki. Welcome back." Speak of the devil. I felt conscious. I wasn't prepared to face her yet, but here she was, welcoming me back like usual.

"Y-yeah. Hi. Thanks." I answered awkwardly, avoiding looking at her as I took off my sneakers as slowly as I can.

"Not to sound nosy or anything, but you came home pretty late today. Don't tire yourself out too much."

I momentarily froze as I heard this. She doesn't know I've been looking up her past without her. She usually insisted on coming, but we generally never get anything done because she gets so distracted and drags me along with her. I pondered about how I should be telling her, but somehow I don't think I'd like to tell her just yet. Which was weird because I imagined myself wanting to get this over with and get her out of my apartment as soon as I possibly can. I mean, that's the entire point of my trip today, wasn't it?

"I-it's none of your business what I do…" I instinctively replied, regretting it the moment it got out. I should really work on this part of me.

A wounded look briefly flashed on her face before it was replaced by a neutral expression. "Is that so."

It might be just me, but she seems a bit different today. When I answer her in this manner, she normally reacts with an explosive reaction or retort. It was a bit disconcerting. "W-what have you been up to all day?"

Annoyed ruby eyes glared at me.

"What's it to you? It's none of your business either."

Despite me starting it, I felt irritated. I didn't know how to deal with her today. After finding out what I needed to know about her, it felt as if she was harder to talk to. Or rather, I didn't want to talk to her at all right now—but at the same time I do. Am I tired like she said?

"...sorry. I just don't feel well right now." I finally said, not facing her.

"What happened?" Her voice softened as she asked, she flew next to me with a worried look on her face.

I flinched at the display of concern. After all this time, I'm still not used to her showing any sort of sentiment to me other than her usual nonsensical jabs.

"N-nothing. Class was just tiring." I lied, hoping to escape her scrutiny.

"...okay?" She said, giving a face of disappointment. "Even though you don't have a class today."

My eyes widened, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. I've probably used up all my luck in lying and getting my way for the day. Something in her look made me feel ashamed that I lied in the first place. I had no class today, it was usually a day I spent studying and doing extra work, but since she arrived and _because _she wouldn't leave, I've spent most of the day out and away from her.

Usually.

I didn't think she'd pay attention to my class schedule.

"Listen—

"I get it," She turned around. "I won't bother you anymore. Go rest."

Something about how she said it gave an air of finality. I didn't like the the sound of it. But before I could reply, she was gone. I gritted my teeth in vexation.

"Fine with me!" I stomped towards my room and slammed the door shut. Feeling incredibly livid, I threw myself onto the queen sized bed, burying my face on a pillow. After a while, I hit my head repeatedly on the soft cushion as I cursed myself for my blunder. My temper and dishonesty got the best of me, and I had Nico experience the brunt of it.

She wasn't even annoying me. I just didn't want to see or talk to her right now.

But why? If anything, this was my chance to finally be rid of her. All I need to do is tell her about the things I learned today. It should be so easy, yet—I couldn't do it. I flipped my position over and lied on my back, staring at the ceiling. Glow in the dark star stickers adorned it, like my very own set of constellations. Stargazing has been a long time hobby of mine, it helped me calm down and think, a relaxing and phenomenal way to pass the time.

"She took pictures of stars..." My thoughts automatically drifted back to the events from earlier.

* * *

_I looked over her death records. She arrived dead on the hospital, left a will that her heart should be used for her sick brother. Died on a Thursday of April, 11:25 in the morning. Cause of death is internal bleeding and eventual blood loss from the wounds she had. Reading the report felt a bit nauseating somehow, dying at 20 was way too early. We'd be the same age by next year, but she'll stay like that only as far as history has recorded her. On one hand, it felt great to finally be somewhere with the investigation, on the other, it felt completely horrible to read something like this of someone I've spent a fair amount of time with._

"_Were you especially looking for Yazawa-san's records?" Nagayama-san asked. I completely forgot she was there with me._

"_Uh, w-well, no...but you mentioned her earlier, right? And I just happened to see her…" I explained lamely. She seemed to be buying though, which was a relief._

_"Well I'll be heading back to my station now young miss. Just tell me if you need anything, okay?" Nagayama-san said, helpful and gentle as ever._

_I nodded. "Thank you so much."_

_As she went back to the nurse station, I redirected my attention back on the accident report and examined it a few more times before I placed the document down to think. I'm at this point, I've tracked down the necessary information I need to get this case closed. All I need to do now is bring Nico to her family and I should be free of her. Instead of feeling happy, hollowness beset me._

_Is it really going to be that easy?_

_"Is that you, Maki-chan?" An unfamiliar voice called out to me. I looked up to see another person who looked scarily similar to Nico, but this time, an older version of her._

_"Y-Yazawa-san?" I answered awkwardly, I at least had to pretend to remember them if I had to go by the story Nagayama-san told me._

_"My, look how you've grown. Much more beautiful than I remembered!" She gushed while putting one palm to her cheek._

_The compliment completely caught me off guard. "Th-that's...! Th-thank you..."_

_"But you're still the same shy girl I knew, how cute."_

_It felt weird hearing flattery from someone I barely remember, let alone someone strikingly similar to the very person who I would never hear this from._

_"H-how have you been? I saw your children earlier and I heard K-Koutarou-kun would be discharged soon?" Lying was one thing, but pretending to be familiar was a completely different monster on its own. I felt Santa frowning at me for being such a bad kid._

_The look on the woman's face turned into a mix of melancholy and relief. She smiled wryly. "That's right...I just got back from work and was gonna check up on them before I headed home to—well, let my daughter know."_

_She was conveniently brought up, which lit the curiosity in me. I know I'm pushing my luck here, but I took the chance since I got this far already, I might as well learn more about them, and Nico. It's the least I could do__—maybe along the way, I would be able to remember my time with them. "Your daughter? You mean eldest one? You...and the k-kids mentioned her a lot, but I don't think I've ever m-met her." I really have to get rid of all this stuttering though._

_Ruby eyes briefly glistened with grief and guilt, before a pained smile shielded any evidence of it._

_"Of course...that kid was always busy running around the place...she hardly stopped to take a break."_

_I was at a loss of words. Unable to imagine how it could be for a mother to lose her child. Internally cursing myself for bringing up something so difficult just so I could get the information I wanted._

_"Is...is something wrong?" I managed to voice out, trying my hardest not to give away what I really know._

"_See, she...oh, her name is Nico," Yazawa-san began, she held her right arm tightly. "She died. Just recently. It was so sudden, I didn't believe it at first."_

_I watched as her eyes began to water, her grip on her arm tightened as she trembled. My mouth felt dry at the heartbreaking sight. I wasn't sure if I should comfort her. Death was just a cycle in life, I never thought too deeply about it, at least not anymore. I grew up in a hospital. A lot of people die every day, sometimes even under papa's hands—a brilliant doctor—but there are just lives you can't save. As an aspiring doctor, this is something I've come to terms with. I was probably desensitized by this in the process._

_"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't even be bothering you about this." Her voice shook as she tried to laugh it off, wiping the forming tears from her eyes._

_"D-don't worry, I was the one who asked. I'm sorry for bringing it up..."_

_"Don't be, how could you have known?" She paused to wipe more of her tears. "A-anyway, you be stay healthy and safe, okay? It was nice seeing you again."_

_Not knowing what to say, I suddenly felt tempted to say that I can see her daughter and that she has been with me for quite some time now. I might not have known, true, but I knew more now than any of the people she knew. It still baffles me that she didn't just haunt her family instead. Why is it me?_

_"Y-Yazawa-san, please wait." I called out._

_The older woman turned towards me with a confused expression. "What is it, dear?"_

_"You...you mentioned letting her know the news about Koutarou-kun, does that mean you'll be going to where she is right now?" I ended up saying, unsure where I'm going with this._

_Still with puzzled look, she nodded._

_"We had her cremated, her remains are at home."_

_"W-would it be alright if you let me go with you?" I said almost immediately._

_Tired carmine eyes widened. "Maki-chan..."_

_"I—I know we've never met but, from how everyone talks about her, I can tell she was great person. I want to meet her." I tried to keep my expression neutral as I said this. Should I be awarded as the world's greatest liar now? I've lied my way for an entire days worth already. I mentally noted that I wasn't completely lying. She must have been a really good kid if her entire family talks so fondly of her. I can never see this with the Nico I know though._

_The look on Yazawa-san's face was a mixture of disbelief and bewilderment, but her eyes gleamed in amusement and appreciation. I wouldn't blame her if she scoffed at me and called me crazy right now._

_"You're sure about that?"_

_"Y-yes." There's no going back anymore._

_The obsidian haired lady sighed and gave me a crooked smile. "If you insist. It's going to be a while though." She gestured to the young boy Koutarou's private room._

_I shook my head and followed her lead, leaving the heap of documents in the waiting area just like that. I'll need to apologise about it to Nagayama-san later, but for now I just discreetly messaged her about it using my phone._

_..._

_It felt as if I entered wonder zone as I stepped inside the room of Yazawa Koutarou. Three pairs of ruby eyes stared at me as if I was some kind of alien. Together with the two children I encountered earlier was another girl who still looked like her, only with a slightly different hair colour compared to everyone's black. Nevertheless, looking at them felt like I just witnessed mitosis occurring the more I saw how much everyone in the family looked so much like Nico. It was freaky, but it was also amazing. My mind was swamped with these thoughts that I didn't notice one of them approach me._

"_Maki-neechan! Kokoro told me earlier that she saw you, it's been a while!" The little girl said, jumping excitedly as she spoke. She was a bit more like Nico than the mild mannered girl that I now know was called Kokoro._

"_I-it has, how have you been?" I asked, somehow regretting why I got myself in this situation. My curiosity completely dismissed the fact that I don't remember any of them and being here would just make me look like an idiot._

"_Koutarou's all better! He'll be discharged soon!" The look of happiness on her face was faintly shaded by a downcast expression. "Although, onee-chan—_

"_Kokoa, Kokoro." Yazawa-san spoke up, her voice strained but gentle, pleading. "Maki-chan and I will get a few things back in the apartment, I trust you two to look after things while I'm gone?"_

"_Yes mama." Both girls answered in unison, their expression forlorn._

"_Call me if anything happens, okay? I love you guys."_

_I watched the exchange in silence, wondering where their father was, does he know what happened to Nico? It was difficult not to feel bad for them, but I'm already too involved to back out now. As I waited for the older woman to lead me out, I gave the three kids one last glance. An awkward smile formed on my lips as I gave them a wave of goodbye. They all responded in kind, but with such tired expressions. I wasn't sure what to make of it._

"_Let's go, Maki-chan?" I heard Yazawa-san call out._

"_Y-yes!" I let myself out of the room while she held the door for me. I watch her close it slowly before turning to me._

_..._

_We didn't need to ride a car, I simply followed her walk a few blocks away from the hospital to finally reach the Yazawa residence. It was on the third floor of an old apartment complex near the station. Admittedly, I've never gone to this side of the city yet, it was a lot less luxurious than what I was used to so it felt a bit jarring._

"_Come on in, Maki-chan, I'll make you tea. Have a seat." She led me to the guest room and gestured to the somewhat dusty couch near the television set. I made my way over there while she disappeared into the what seemed like the kitchen. I looked around and tried to digest my surrounding. The flat felt cramped and unkempt, save for the closed butsudan by the corner. _

_It must be Nico's._

"_I'm sorry, we only have oolong right now. No one has been drinking tea since Nico went…" I watched as she poured tea on a handsome looking tea set, the kind that was perfect for high class traditional tea drinking. It seemed like tea time used to be a thing with their family. That was somehow fascinating, tea was elegant and peaceful, a total contradiction to a certain boisterous ghost._

"_What was she like?" I asked, genuinely interested this time. At least this would be information that I didn't know yet._

"_My, that's gonna be a tough one. That girl is a lot of things." She said, staring tenderly at her tea._

_This hype of her personality was somehow unbelievable, but I can't help but anticipate it. She was probably a lot more pleasant when she was alive._

"_Let's see...she's stubborn? Grumpy, prideful, has difficulty being honest, unathletic, ambitious…"_

_I tried my best not to show how disappointed I was, these were things I knew, and it was a shame that she hasn't changed after all._

"_...caring, sensitive, hard working, both selfish and selfless…"_

_I raised an eyebrow at all these new and paralleling traits. Then realised I probably looked like I wasn't believing her, thank the heavens she was still staring at her teacup._

"_...she's a great cook, probably even better than me. Admittedly, I wasn't always around. Since my husband passed away, she took over the house. I had to work twice as hard in turn so I rarely come home to them awake. Because of this, the kids adore her. She disciplined them properly and made sure they ate their vegetables. She always reassured me that they were all fine, and reminded me all the time to take care of myself." Her eyes twinkled as she spoke, I found myself smiling at it._

"_I'm really lucky to have such a reliable daughter. When she was younger, she clung to me or her papa like glue, but she grew into such a responsible big sister." She took a sip from the cup and sighed. "The day Koutarou collapsed, she was able to bring him to the hospital before it was too late."_

_I stayed silent and urged her to continue._

"_She was a mess that day you know? When I heard of the news and got to the hospital, I saw her holding back her tears while holding Kokoro and Kokoa. Soon after seeing me, she just broke down and cried, saying I'm sorry so many times it was ridiculous. My strong little Nico, showing an unusual display of weakness all of a sudden. I relied on her too much I didn't realise she was still a kid._

_Since then, she changed. Everyone did in fact. Kokoro and Kokoa helped her out more, and she started working. She got into a decent university and even paid her own tuition fees. She helped pay with the hospital bills from time to time as well."_

"_That's amazing." I blurted out in awe. Newfound respect overcame me. I instantly cleared my throat to shrug off my embarrassment. "Achieving so much at that age is really impressive. What did she want to be?"_

"_I think she wanted to be an idol, but she never went through with it. She used to collect so many idol things but that stopped too. Although I can somehow tell why she would...she just concentrated on working and graduating. She often traveled to the countryside for star photoshoots because Koutarou loves them."_

"_Star photoshoots?" I repeated, not really understanding what it was._

"_Ah. She took photography, so she takes really nice pictures of the stars. You don't really get beautiful starry skies in Tokyo anymore." She explained._

"_I see."_

_I took a sip of my slightly lukewarm tea as I tried to digest all these information. Nico really _was _a good kid, unimaginably so. I lived in sizable wealth, I never had to work. My family was relatively healthy so I never had to experience anyone almost dying within my grasp. We had a hospital for that purpose anyway. I realised again that some people weren't as fortunate. She had to sacrifice a lot of things for her family, and yet she died just like that. It didn't feel fair._

"_How old are you Maki-chan?" She suddenly asked._

"_O-oh, um, I just turned 18 this year."_

"_Ah, so she's older than you." She put a finger to her chin and contemplated. "I still think you would have gotten along though."_

_Hearing this made me want to giggle and tell her that she was sorely mistaken. Despite the nice things I've heard, the Nico I see every day was nowhere near as awesome—maybe except for the cooking. I really learned a lot from her in that field, and I'm grateful. But I'll never tell her that._

"_Y-you think so?" I masked my mirth._

"_Yeah, you guys are very similar, I knew this the moment I saw you two years ago."_

_Us? Similar? Might as well say white crows exist._

"_I-is that so…" I played with my hair and looked at another direction to avoid showing my disdain at this claim._

"_Yup," Yazawa-san tapped her legs and stood up. "It's about time you met her. I'll take out the incense."_

_I watched as she took out incense from the cupboard. She handed me one and led me to the butsudan. She carefully swung the doors open revealing a picture of a man, Nico and their respective urns. The man must be her father, I assumed. He looked young as well, and unsurprisingly, appeared just like everyone in the Yazawa family—like a bunch of clones. This was probably gonna be how Nico would look like if she was a guy. My eyes fell to her picture as I thought this, her hair was tied up into twintails held up by a red ribbon. She looked younger here, but not by much. Somehow, seeing her like this made me feel nostalgic, like this wasn't the first time I've seen her._

_But of course this wasn't the first time, I've seen her face so many times on different people on this day alone I probably just lost it. Did genetics even work like this?_

"_Hi dears, I have Maki-chan with me today. She wanted to meet Nico." Yazawa-san said, looking at the two pictures with a sad but loving gaze. She lit up both our incense and gave me a smile. "C'mon Maki-chan, say something."_

_I stiffened as soon as I heard this. That's right, I'm here under the pretense of 'wanting to meet her'._

"_H-hello. It's a pleasure to meet you for the very first time," I started, making sure I didn't sound weird. "I hope you find peace."_

_I'm pretty sure that sounded weird, but it was thankfully unheard by the woman beside me as she was hunched up in prayer, eyes closed and everything. After a while, I did too. Wishing that she really does find peace._

* * *

I heard my tummy growl so loudly that I realised I haven't eaten all day. How long has it been since I started thinking about what happened earlier? I remember that I hadn't turned the light on, so it was dark. As my eyes adjusted, I looked at the faint light on my digital alarm clock that displayed the numbers 11:25 PM on it. It was late, but I had to eat something. I changed into my house clothes and thought up of what to cook.

Once I decided on what to make, I got to work. I prepared the ingredients and started cracking two eggs in half and poured its content in a bowl. I dropped one fourth teaspoon worth of salt and pepper, a bit of water and chopped tomato on it before mixing. I started the stove fire and placed the pan on it, melting a slice of butter across the surface. Once it was properly heated, I poured the egg mixture and waited until the edges were set. I gently lifted the edge of the egg and tilted it so the uncooked part came in contact with the pan. After a bit of tossing, it was done. I sprinkled cheese on it and folded it momentarily to cook.

I placed it on a plate and got a bit of the leftover rice from this morning. I placed the food down on the table and got a chair. Thinking back, this was the first recipe Nico taught me. In her own words, it was simple, delicious and easy to make. She was right about the first two things at least. I used to fail making it before, thankfully I was able to pull it off without burning the kitchen this time. I stared at the food and wondered if it'll taste good. This was probably the only time I cooked without her supervision, it felt kind of nerve wracking. I took a piece with the chopsticks and tasted it.

"It...it's good..." I murmured to myself as I continued to quietly indulge myself in the fluffiness of the egg that contained a delectable combination of salt and tang. The rice served as a great palate cleanser which doubled my appetite. After a few minutes of stuffing myself, the food was gone. I usually took my time to eat, so I was surprised that I was actually this famished. I placed the dishes down the sink and sighed contentedly, feeling completely full. Eating at this hour wasn't the best, but it put in me in a good mood. Where was Nico? I felt like bragging about this. I never heard the end of it from her whenever I did it wrong, so I wonder how she'll react.

My amusement was replaced by guilt as her cold voice resounded in my thoughts, immediately reminding me the reason she's not around to begin with.

_I won't bother you anymore._

"Nico? You can hear me, right?" I spoke out, making sure my voice was loud enough to echo around the apartment.

"What do you want?" She materialized by the counter, a brooding look on her face.

Slightly taken aback by the instantaneous response, I forgot what I was about to say.

"I…I was able to cook an omelet!"

"I saw. Congratulations." She deadpanned. A bit lackluster from what I imagined, but I didn't feel offended.

She stared me down with a completely unamused face, clearly still angry about the events from earlier. I gave her an apologetic look in exchange, making sure we saw eye to eye. Compared to how I didn't want to talk or even face her a few hours back; it was a bit easier to look at her now. Was this the right time to tell her about what I discovered today? How would she react? Will she want to be brought to her family immediately?

"I'm sorry about earlier. I really was tired, but I know I shouldn't have lied about being in class." I ended up saying, my mind still swirling in countless questions. I really am sorry, I hope it got across to her even then.

"It's fine," Her miffed expression slackened. "I was being too nosy."

If she only knew what I did today, she'll know that wasn't true. She hasn't seen blunt intrusiveness yet. It would be interesting to see her reaction when she finds out. I mentally shook my head to rid myself of several different facial expressions she'd make and inhaled deeply, gathering my thoughts. It had to be now.

"Listen, today, I…"

I paused to study her still pouty face, her narrowed eyes were locked at me in silent anticipation.

I suddenly felt hesitant.

The time between us was shortening. That should be a good thing, right?

She needs to remember and see her family again so she can finally rest her spirit and I need to get my normal life back. The one that was logical and scientific, and nothing like these absurd five months I've spent with her. Even though that's what I think was the sound thing to do, I couldn't bring myself to speak again.

"You what?" She asked impatiently.

"...if we never find out about your past, will you be alright with it?" I held the hem of my shirt tightly, wondering how this question came about.

Nico stared at me with a puzzled look.

"The bigger question is, will _you_ be alright with it? As far as I can remember, you don't really enjoy me being here. If I don't remember, I'll be stuck here, haunting you forever," She looked out the window and sighed. "The only way I can think of for you to be free of me is to help me remember what happened, so I can resolve my unfinished business and move on to the next life or whatever."

I was speechless. Taken aback by how my simple question revealed so much about what she thought about this entire thing. After all this time, she'd only been thinking of getting rid of herself, for _my sake_. Because I was so unwelcoming, so rude, so utterly spiteful about her existence. I did not once consider what she felt, only thinking about what I wanted. On the other hand, she helped me learn how to cook, how to sew back fallen buttons from my blouse, how not to be a slob about my laundry as well as dishes that I used to leave rotting and piled up on the sink—all under the pretense of a loudmouthed dictator that wanted to get her way. Of course she had her goofier moments, and she would bother me a lot over trivial things, but she never meant any harm.

Something seemed odd about that question though.

"Let me reiterate, say you don't put me into consideration. Just you not remembering and being stuck here. Would be alright with that?"

She chuckled lightly. "Maki, I'm dead. It won't matter. Especially if no one could see me, I wouldn't bother anyone! I mean, of course it sucks to be holed up in one place forever, but again, I'm dead. I don't have control over my life anymore—or lack thereof."

I closed my eyes, wanting to suppress the rush of emotions that surged within my chest. The way she disregarded herself bothered me. It bothered me more that I was probably one of the reasons she felt this way. How can she have no regard for herself? Her family mourned for her. They were sad she was gone. She needs to know this.

"Nico, I—

The sound of my phone ringing loudly cut me off my thoughts. Cursing to myself, I brought myself to pick it up from my bag. Who would call at this hour anyway? I saw Nico shrug off and floated elsewhere.

"Hello?"

"Guess who~?" A playful voice came out of the receiver.

"N-Nozomi? It's in the middle of the night in Japan right now, what do you—

"I know. I just got got back. Wouldn't you pick up poor old me?"

"Couldn't you have called Eli for this? Why are you letting someone two years your junior do this?"

"Aw Maki-chan, are you in a bad mood? And I couldn't reach Elicchi at all!"

I sighed heavily, but making sure she couldn't hear me. Toujou Nozomi was an upperclassman from high school. We met in my first year, and along with her fellow classmate Ayase Eli, we became good friends. After high school, Nozomi left to go to India for some kind of 'spiritual training', whatever that meant. She was an odd girl, her mystifying way of handling things were preposterous yet scarily accurate. It was kind of endearing. I wasn't very taken by the otherworldly because it conflicted with my empirical approach to life, but she was an exception.

"Fine. Narita right? Wait for me in 45 minutes."

"Dhan'yavāda Maki-chan." I ended the call before I fussed about how to make sense of what I just heard. "Geez, that Nozomi…"

"You're so cute when you're flustered, Maki-_chan_. Like a tomato." Nico spoke up, imitating Nozomi's way of addressing me while sneering from a distance.

"Sh-shut up! I'm not done with you! Wait till I get back!" I almost exclaimed as I reached for my jacket and car keys.

"I will. Take care and stay safe Maki."

I felt my face heat up at the thought that she'll wait for me come home to her.

"I-I'll be going now."

Closing the door behind me, I realised how thankful I was that Nozomi called. I didn't have to be in a hurry, not anymore at least. I'll tell Nico in time. It doesn't have to be now. I'm not sure what'll happen when I do, so for the meantime, I'll try to make it up to her by letting her feel more welcome. Because even though I'll never say it to her face, having a noisy, facetious and cute ghost wasn't so bad.

* * *

Butsudan is an altar, you might have seen these things in your Chinese cartoons. Or you can google it. ;)

Dhan'yavāda is thank you in Indian.

Only the 2nd years left! Can you guess how they'll appear?

Again, criticisms, opinions, violent reactions, all welcome!


	6. Chapter Five: Unlikely Connection

New chapter time! After like 10 years. Not like anyone's reading this, lol. I just kinda wanted to update anyway. So yeah.

Just plugging in sif talk like I always do, but it's Nico who's gonna get Zurui yo Magnetic today for her event! Like three events from now! MARK MY WORDS.

Inb4 it's not her (definitely not Maki at this point because they just announced her Score Match event) but another raibu but still using their song. I would be a sad firetruck.

Anyway, erm, enjoy to anyone who's reading.

* * *

**The Science of Spectral Magnetism**

Chapter Five

I usually never use my car, but I made sure to stock up on things I would enjoy when I do. That included listening to classical music while I drove. It was a good way to relax yourself from the stress of the road.

Not that that was the case at the moment; traffic was fast because of the late hour, there were nearly no cars except for a few including mine that easily weaved through the freeway.

With only the sound of the engine and Bach's piece intermingling within the confines of the vehicle, oddly enough, thoughts of Nico occupied my mind.

"_I'm dead. It won't matter. Especially if no one could see me, I wouldn't bother anyone! I mean, of course it sucks to be holed up in one place forever, but again, I'm dead. I don't have control over my life anymore."_

I huffed in vexation at the memory. I didn't understand why that upset me more than it should—after all, she did have a point. But a part of me felt bad that she had to resign to that kind of conclusion about herself. The thought of being stuck and helpless after death bothered me. It wasn't fair.

Ghosts, poltergeists and monsters had always been a commercialized form of fear to me, so much that it entertains more than it actually scares. It creates a false fantasy in one's head about the afterlife and its many unscientific imageries for people to gobble up. The reason why horror movies and quack doctors exist.

Science never went deeper into the spiritual part of death, I never would have thought there was more to just having your brain cells die and your heart stop beating—at least not until I saw Nico. She single handedly disproved me of everything I thought I knew were facts.

Up until now, it's still a bit unbelievable how I could see a spirit and learn about how they were when they were alive. She would have been all alone this entire time if I didn't see her. Which was something I've never really considered before.

I appreciate my time in solitude, but I could never imagine myself in that kind of isolation—dead, vulnerable and unnoticed. It seemed horrible, scary and terribly lonely. She may be annoying, but I'm glad I can at least help her from ever feeling that.

It got me back to contemplating what will happen after I tell her about her past and bring her to her family. Will she not be stuck in my apartment anymore? Will she all of a sudden disappear because she'd be passing on? Will peace really return to me after everything?

My mind drew a blank, answered only by a higher movement from the orchestra piece from the stereo.

Did I really want her gone _that_ badly?

Before my brain formulated answers, the airport was already in sight and I arrived five minutes earlier than expected. Maneuvering my car to park near the area where arrivals come out, I turned the engine down to a stop. I looked at the large building in apprehension, feeling like I shouldn't be here at all.

Just then, my phone suddenly began ringing loudly. I immediately grabbed it to see what was happening only to see an incoming call from Nozomi. Was she getting impatient? I know I gave her a time frame and I haven't gone past it. I gave the receiver a minute long stare before I decided to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"You've arrived. Thanks again Maki-chan." I heard her say.

"I'm parked outside, near the arrivals area. I'm about to head out, where should we meet?" I informed her, not even the least bit surprised that she knew I was here.

"You don't need to. Look behind you."

Using my rear mirror, I saw her figure walking towards me, waving.

"What the hell, you sure know how to creep me out." I blurted out to cover the goosebumps I felt upon seeing her.

"Spiritual, ain't it?" She voiced through the speaker as she walked closer.

I unlocked the the trunk and went out of the car, intending to help her with her luggage, but as I got near her, Nozomi just stared at me for one whole minute before saying:"You've grown, Maki-chan."

I rolled my eyes. "And you haven't changed at all."

"You think so? I changed plenty~." She quipped, puffing up her chest in pride.

"What's with that? I don't get you as usual." I picked up her rather heavy luggage and placed it inside the trunk on my own as she watched. Incredulously, I slammed the trunk door shut.

"Thanks Maki-chan, you're so strong." She chided.

"Gee, you're so helpful." I deadpanned.

"You looked like you could handle it by yourself though."

"Whatever, let's get in the car." I gestured her to get into the passenger's seat as I stomped my way back to the driver's. Nozomi was just as playful as I remembered. And I'm still kind of a sore loser about being played into her games.

"Hm, I know you've grown, but something else feels different about you." She began saying as she buckled up, scrutinizing eyes on me.

I sighed and started up the engine, feeling a little bit tired to humor her. "Where do you want to be dropped? Are you still living in your old place here?"

"I entrusted Elicchi the keys to my apartment, yes. But as I've told you, she won't pick up."

I immediately grabbed my phone to dial Eli's number. Nozomi was right that she couldn't be reached. I tried calling her again but only reached a busy line. How can she still be using a phone this late anyway?

"See? I've been trying since I arrived, but she's still apparently using her phone." My eyes were on the road, but I could tell from her tone that she was pouting.

"What do you want to do? Should we go see her? She's still obviously awake anyway." I suggested as I exited out of the gate of the airport.

"We can do that, but I was thinking more of going there tomorrow and possibly crashing at your place for the night? I'm quite bushed."

Normally I wouldn't mind, Nozomi was a good friend after all, and we wouldn't be able to accomplish anything if both of us felt tired anyway. I was about to say yes until I remembered one big problem about letting her stay in my apartment right now.

Nico.

In the years that I've known Nozomi, the most memorable part of her is her affinity to the occult. And Nico was a ghost haunting my apartment. What would happen if they met?

"...Maki-chan? Is that a no?" Her dejected voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Guilty, I ended up agreeing to let her stay the night.

"Thank you Maki-chan~ I owe you one." Her happy voice made me smile, but I was still worried. Am I digging myself a deeper, more troublesome hole by doing this? What would Nico think?

But come to think of it, since Nozomi is good at dealing with supernatural stuff, she should—in theory—be more of help towards Nico than I'll ever be, right?

Why haven't I thought of this sooner?

"Hm? You look happier than usual all of a sudden Maki-chan."

Thrown off by her observation, I stuttered in reply. "Y-you think so?"

"Yup, sure do. It's like you've hit the jackpot." She said while humming along with the 4th movement of BWV 140 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme that played in my speakers.

For a good while, that was the only thing that filled my ears until I spoke up again, we were almost back at the apartment so I might as well tell her.

"Nozomi, listen..."

...

She couldn't tell how much time had passed since then, nor could she remember. All she knew was that she's stuck, helpless and—well, dead. Awareness of time had been lost on her since, the concept of her living life was a complete mystery to her. Past her name and a bunch of recipes, there was nothing else she could remember about herself. It almost felt like there wasn't anything to recall. Not being able to remember anything about yourself was its own kind of monster, but remembering everything about the world, but not having the ability to do anything about it was a bigger villain than she had originally imagined. If it weren't for Maki, she could have been left to ponder about her forgotten life for god knows how long.

Thanks to this however, accepting death was easier than she anticipated. For all she knew, she just could have been stuck in a dream, or had amnesia. But she could pass through walls, was perpetually floating, and had no feet. Some kind of electromagnetic interaction came into play whenever she was close to something. She couldn't even leave the goddamn apartment as if a barrier was preventing her from doing so. A normal, living human wouldn't have these attributes or problems. At least not in what she remembers.

Maki had perfectly summed up what became of her—not that it was difficult at this point—a ghost.

That's what confused Nico the most though.

She didn't remember being very knowledgeable about the occult or the supernatural, but she was sure that ghosts only existed because of either denial, regret or willingness to be confined in the realm of the living. If she was to be absolutely honest, it was laughable and nonsensical to think about—and now she's paying the price for ridiculing it.

With this in mind, there was only one reason she could allude to for still lingering about. She was sure she has accepted death, so she couldn't possibly be in denial. There was just no way she was willing to be trapped in a place with an irritable tomato head either. It came down to one thing; regrets. But that was the main problem, she didn't remember anything about her life, and she wasn't just gonna remember by sitting idly.

Eventually, she had the crimson haired girl to agree on helping her, to save them both the insanity of being stuck with each other for a long amount of time. After all, she couldn't do anything on her own, and Maki would love to have her out of her life enough to be motivated on getting this over with. It was a beneficial compromise between the two of them.

Unfortunately, it hasn't been going anywhere as of late. The only thing Nico has discovered so far was how Maki wasn't so bad as she initially seemed.

Despite her appearances, she was a very silly and naive girl, obviously pampered so much that she couldn't cook on her own, and has a very wasteful and lazy side to her. Of course, this doesn't overshadow her good points, which Nico had to begrudgingly admit was more than her bad. She was intelligent and determined, she gets things done with an above average result and is very quick to learn new things. Rich and sassy, but still adorably shy and innocent. It was very easy to tease and make fun of her, and her reactions were nothing short of satisfying. She was cute and insanely pretty at the same time.

But other than that, she was still in the dark about herself. Was she some kind of cook? Did she have a lover, a family—children? How old was she, what regrets were strong enough to keep her from passing on? With so many unanswered questions, Nico predicted restlessness and uncertainty to plague her, but she didn't feel that bothered about it. Spending time with Maki had its own charm, she liked it. She'll never tell her that though.

Before she could puzzle over more about it, she heard the door clicking open.

"Maki!"

Nico made her way near the door, ready to welcome her back, trying not to seem so happy doing so.

When the door swung open however, she saw another person other than Maki. She squinted her eyes slightly at the new entity as she watched them enter the apartment.

"Nico…?" Maki called out, wheeling in a luggage into the living room.

Nico wasn't sure if she should respond or stay put, the other person with Maki has come into her view, a slightly shorter girl with violet hair tied into two low pigtails. She had a very enviable body, she noted. Especially the chest area. Was she the person Maki was talking to from earlier?

"I won't bite." The stranger said, startling the already wary Nico. It didn't seem like she could see her, but her confident and almost knowing voice instilled an inexplicable fear in her. This boob lady didn't feel like good news.

"H-hey, Maki..." She tried discreetly.

"There you are," Maki said, a look of relief on her features. She then looked at the only other person in the room. "...can you see her, Nozomi?"

"W-wait! Hey! What's going on?!"

Nozomi walked closer and gave Nico an excited look. "Hello, I'm Toujou Nozomi, a friend of Maki-chan's. You must be Nico-san! Didn't think you'd be this adorable!"

A bit dumbfounded by the unexpected comment, Nico could only stare at the woman with a slack jaw. Maki, who was less surprised about her reaction just sighed heavily.

"You don't agree?" She asked.

"I definitely don't." Maki immediately answered, crossing her arms and looking away at the bewildered ghost.

"Aw Maki-chan, you're not being honest~."

The redhead's face burned in embarrassment at the accusation. "Wh-what exactly should I be honest about?!"

Nico watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and confusion. From what she can tell so far though, boobs-san knew of her existence. Either told by Maki, or she was some kind of occult specialist. Maybe both. There was something really mysterious about her that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but looking at her properly now, she didn't seem as threatening.

"Nico-san," Nozomi called out to her. Eyes eager and curious.

Having zoned out most of their squabble, Nico was slow to answer. Her train of thoughts having trouble stopping. "Y-yes?" She said nervously, realizing it was just the two of them now.

"I'll be staying for the night, I hope you don't mind." Nozomi explained, slightly bowing at her.

"E-eh? Why would I mind? I don't even own this place. If Maki brought you here, that means she was fine with it, right?" Nico said, absently scratching her cheek with an index finger. "Besides, I'm a ghost, if anything I should worry about bothering you."

"Seeing you with my own eyes took away the tiredness I felt from the trip, I don't think it's a bother at all!" Nozomi said, smiling gently at the raven haired ghost.

Hearing that made Nico really happy and she didn't know why. There was something very satisfying about making someone feel better by your mere presence. She found herself easily warming up to her.

"You're a good person! Maki is NEVER this nice, you know?"

"I heard that." Maki interjected, her voice displeased. She held a tray with tea and senbei, most likely for Nozomi and herself.

"Eep!" Nico floated as fast as she could behind Nozomi in reaction.

"You sure get along well, how very spiritual." Nozomi said, giggling to herself.

"How is this 'getting along well'? She just implied I was a horrible person." Maki placed the tray on the table near the couches and gestured Nozomi to come sit.

"I just said you're not as nice! You're so sensitive." Nico said, sticking tongue out at her.

"And you're annoying." Maki glared back.

"Now now, you two, relax and have a cup of tea." Nozomi said, already sipping from her own cup.

Maki watched her from the corner of her eye before looking at Nico. "Actually Nico, other than her staying the night, I told her about you and what you can and can't do. I think she might be able to help us in getting your memories back and more."

Nico perked up hearing this.

"Maki-chan told me that you couldn't leave this place?" Nozomi asked, putting her cup down the table.

"Yeah, whenever I attempt to get out, I end up back in Maki's room before I can even say 'wow'." Nico clarified.

"Is it always Maki-chan's room? Not the living room, the bathroom or the kitchen? Just that one place?" Nozomi continued questioning.

"Always. I've seen it myself." Maki supplied, leaning back on the couch.

"Hmm..." Nozomi hummed, taking out a deck of cards from her pocket. "That explains the faint spiritual residue I sense other than Nicocchi here."

"Nicocchi?" Both Nico and Maki chorused.

"Ah, I'm sorry, do you mind if I call you that? You can call me Nozomi too." Nozomi explained, giving Nico a small grin.

"Um, sure No...zomi," Nico tried to say but stuttered.

"What do you mean by faint spiritual residue?" Maki asked, trying to get to the point. She didn't understand why she felt on edge about how Nozomi easily got Nico to call her by name. She was using that affectionate suffix -cchi too which was, up to this day, was only reserved for Eli.

For a while Nozomi didn't say anything, she placed the cards on the table and lined them up in a pattern, reshuffled and did the same thing all over. Maki and Nico patiently waited for her to say something—anything. Their desire to know building up. Finally, after lining up the cards in a cross-like pattern, she looked up. "There's an object in Maki-chan's room that is binding Nicocchi to this place."

Maki's eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"

"And you know what it is?" Nico said, her voice trembled in excitement.

"I don't, but I will be able to point it out. Before that though," She picked up a card from the patterned deck on the table. "I need to check something."

"Is it gonna take long?" Maki said, unable to mask her impatience.

Nozomi only chuckled. "You shouldn't rush a lady, Maki-chan. But to answer your question, it won't take a minute." She flipped the card she took and stared at it for a few seconds, it showed an upright form of the The Tower. "I see."

"What? What? What do you see?" Nico said, curiosity completely coated in her tone.

"Right, shall we check your room, Maki-chan?" Nozomi said standing up from her position. She placed the card to the right side of the cross pattern with its position flipped downwards facing the table, with just the back of the card visible.

"Heyyy, don't ignore me Nozomi!" Nico whined floating her way in front of her.

"Sorry Nicocchi, but don't worry about it. I was just closing the deck." She assured.

"Let's get going you guys." Maki interrupted, already headed to her room, leading the way.

Nico and Nozomi followed silently on this little trip with an odd sense of elation. They watched Maki open the door to her room and turn on the lights. The room was pretty messy with clothes scattered everywhere, the blanket comforter on the bed was left unfolded, and there were still large unopened boxes on the corner. The glow in the dark stickers on her ceiling gave the room an attitude though, undoubtedly fitting of Maki.

"This is like a boy's room." Nozomi commented. Nico just nodded in agreement, even though she didn't really notice that until today.

"I-I just don't have time to clean up okay? I have more important things to do." Maki said, her face slightly pink. She put a hand on her hips and changed the topic. "So where is it?"

"Right..." Nozomi closed her eyes for minute or two while Nico and Maki silently stared in anticipation. After a while, her arm lifted and pointed at the direction of Maki's nightstand. "...there."

Maki got to work immediately and went over to it. "Where in here? Do I have to put out everything?"

"Yes, I'm not sure what it is either, so I need to see each item."

Maki sighed, feeling more tired as the second passed. Her digital clock flashed 3:25 AM, making her realize that she badly needed sleep at this point, but the need to unravel this mystery kept her going. It was a good thing she didn't have much on it; a lamp, a digital clock, stick-its and a pen on its surface.

"Is it any of these?"

Nozomi shook her head a no.

Maki didn't think she had anything in it other than that, but she opened the drawers anyway, hoping to find something. The first drawer had tangled wires from earphones to phone chargers. She put them out for Nozomi to see, not bothering to try and untangle them. Nozomi shook her head again. Nico just floated around her looking anxious as well. The second drawer was empty, so she moved to the last bottom drawer, which had a small box with stickers on it.

"It's in there," Nozomi confirmed. "I sense its aura the strongest in that box."

Maki gulped. She didn't remember this box until today, so she was also enlivened by what awaited her inside. She got right to work and opened it, what she saw was an old red amulet and folded papers. The amulet indicated the word _kanai-anzen_, which was something that carries the wishes for the safety and well-being of the family. A nagging feeling about it unnerved her, but she didn't remember keeping it or where she had gotten it, but she showed them to Nozomi and Nico nonetheless, hoping to find answers.

"That's it, the amulet." Nozomi confirmed. "Is this familiar to both of you?"

Truthfully, Maki didn't want to answer. Up until today, she truly believed that Nico showing up in her life was just an arbitrary coincidence she had to deal and get over with. But it turns out they were more connected than she initially concluded. This feeling of epiphany resonated more as she stared at the amulet. She might not remember everything, but it was easy to deduce that it was something she received from Nico's family back in the summer of her second year of high school. It had to be. She was absolutely sure she's never met Nico so there was no way she could have received this directly from her. Besides, it was a protection charm, the only person who could possibly fit the description would be—

"It's mine..." Nico whispered, recognition evident on her face. "I gave it to my brother in the summer of my third year in high school."

"You remember now, Nicocchi?" Nozomi asked.

"Not everything...a lot of things are still very hazy to me, but I'm sure about this one. I could tell the very moment I saw it," Nico said. "But why is it with you, Maki?"

An unwieldy silence overcame the room, as all eyes were directed at Maki, urging her to speak up. It was a very good question, she noted. It was also the perfect setup for her to naturally talk about Nico's past. She mentally patted herself for the timely discovery; otherwise she wouldn't have been able to answer without seeming like a thief or worse.

"This is gonna be pretty lengthy, so I'm asking you to let me say everything I need to first before you react. Are we clear?"

Nico nodded determinedly. "Yes."

Nozomi, feeling satisfied with the outcome, silently went for the door and out of the room. The two were so focused on each other now to notice and it worked to her advantage. She didn't want to intrude on someone else's past just like that, _e_ven if she thought it was super interesting. Only time will tell if she would have the opportunity to be part of their world, but for now, she needed rest. She walked back towards the table where her cards were and picked up the the card that was at the center of the cross-like pattern. Flipping it, she was shown an interesting premonition, an upright form of The Lovers.


	7. Chapter Six: Unlikely Friendship

First of all, thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows! It was dead for a while so I wasn't sure if I should still update, but I want to finish this story no matter what! Hope you're enjoying this trash.

On sif talk, I successfully T1'd Maki event! Woo! And after this next (predicting Honk SR) MedFes event, might be the long awaited Zurui yo Magnetic Today event song with Nico SR! I'm so hyped, but I'm sure it's probably gonna be as insane as the Maki event. Gonna T1 it anyway! I hope it's gay. Good luck to everyone playing JP sif!

Also, I added a cover photo for this story! Credit goes to **zurui yo**/**Nicotachi**-san (in tumblr) for going through the trouble of drawing such a beautiful art! Thank you so much! Go follow her guys! Great NicoMaki content for all ages! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

That all said, HERE WE GO BOYS! NEXT CHAPTER TIME! Aka Nothing Happens: The Chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Science of Spectral Magnetism**

Chapter Six

I took a deep breath and looked at Nico straight in the eye, preparing myself to tell her everything I know. She looked at me in kind, her eyes too focused that it felt like I was on some kind of spotlight with her ruby colored irises scrutinizing me. A stage was set, in which I'm conveniently given the chance to impart what I learned, without having to think up of ways to awkwardly insinuate it. Just the kind of setup I need, it was everything I could ask for.

At least, that's supposed to be how I should feel about all of this—yet a part of me was reluctant to go through with it. Which was weird, because at any other point in time, I would have readily and willingly gotten it over with. The idea of returning back to my peaceful and logical life once she's gone always encouraged me, but thinking about it now only made my chest tighten—to a point where it hurts. And I couldn't fathom why.

"Maki, are you okay?" Nico asked, concern inflected in her tone.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I said, trying not to choke on my spit. Nozomi was nowhere to be seen, I realised late. She was always really good at reading the mood, and it never failed to impress me. I made a mental note to thank her later. For now I had to focus on Nico, and make sure I make proper use of this opportunity to settle this once and for all.

As I returned my gaze on her, I felt my hand reach for the ends of my hair, the need to play with it overwhelming me. She looked at me in attentiveness, her eyes reflecting patience that I couldn't and wouldn't ever dare betray. Even if my mind practically screamed the opposite. Can I still back out of this?

"Maki, don't tell me...were you my killer? Is that why you have that amulet and now you're hyperventilating over the guilt?" She said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I—what?! No! What the hell?" Whatever it was that made me anxious was gone in an instant as I focused on her random accusation. "What the hell?!"

Nico's cheeks puffed almost instantly as she held in a laugh, making me realise that she was just poking fun at me. What the hell.

"You...you should have seen the look on your face!"

"Why you little…!"

Unable to hold it in, she burst out in laughter, effectively cutting me off. I felt my face heat up, anger and embarrassment building up in me. I don't even want to imagine how I look like right now. I glared at her in irritation, it was in moments like these that I wish I could actually smack her on the head for being such a mischievous little imp.

But seeing her laugh so much that tears were forming in her eyes, it was hard not to forgive her. If this was her way of getting me to relax, it was working. It was a definite improvement from the me of twenty seconds ago, at least. I found myself smiling. It wasn't the first time she was successful in lightening up my mood in the most outrageous ways possible, but I always found it surprising how she can get to me so easily.

"Seriously though, chill. I'm gonna listen to you no matter what. Don't be nervous." Her attempt at reassurance was pretty hard to take seriously as she was still stifling laughter.

"I-I wasn't really nervous…" I tried to reason, feeling slight pain in the way I held my hair strands.

"Sure you weren't, miss I-twirl-my-hair-when-I'm-tense."

I frowned at her in reply, dropping my hand to the side in an effort to disprove her, but in the end I couldn't even argue against it. The truth was hard to debunk.

"Okay, how about this, I'll ask questions, then you can answer them one by one, just so you don't have to think of where to begin? I mean, it's also pretty late, I know you're tired." She suggested, her voice was gentle and almost pampering.

I stared at her for few seconds, admittedly surprised at how caring and compassionate she's been with me throughout this conversation. She's giving off a reliable big sister vibe, just like how her mother described her to be. I didn't really consider her as one so it was an odd feeling, even though this wasn't the first time she fussed over me. "It's fine, I'll begin from your last question." I said, finally gaining the resolve to tell her.

"Okay."

I steeled myself and began. "I probably got that amulet from your brother."

The look of confusion on Nico was just as I expected.

"The reason why I was out today was to track down your death records," I elaborated further, watching her reaction. "Just as I assumed, you were brought to our hospital. I was able to find out how and why you died."

"...did I die because of something stupid?" She asked, looking rather squeamish.

"It was a traffic accident, I wouldn't really call it stupid." I told her, feeling more poised as the second passed. Telling her to react only after I'm done talking seemed to have completely slipped her mind, but I didn't mind. I found her responses funny. "Anyway, by chance, I met your family there."

Nico's eyes widened but she didn't say anything, just urging me to continue.

"They're all well. Your brother—Koutarou, he's getting discharged soon. Not too long ago, a heart donor was found and a surgery was done on him, and it was successful. He's just going through therapy."

A look of relief flashed in her eyes before she scratched her head in bewilderment. "But that doesn't explain why you have the amulet."

"I know, let me get to it." I immediately replied, her response within my expectations. "When I was in high school, I helped out at the hospital. Your—

"So you actually knew me?! I don't remember all that well, but I must have been in the hospital a lot!" She interrupted, sounding oddly excited about the idea.

"If I knew you, I wouldn't need to go to all this trouble and take months to find out about you, don't you think?" I said in exasperation.

"Oh," Her animated mood deflated promptly after hearing that. "I guess that's true."

"Right, so, as I was saying, your family were among the people I encountered while I helped out. They too confirmed this when I met them today."

Understanding was apparent on her face as she asked. "You don't remember meeting them then?"

"No, that explains the 'probably'. I'm not sure how I got it, but from what you can remember, that's all I could conclude to." I explained.

"I see," She said, her voice almost a whisper. "Well, I'm glad to know Koutarou's all better. I guess he didn't really need my amulet, huh? If it was with you all this time."

Koutarou didn't need it because you gave him something else, something that guaranteed his life more than an amulet could ever provide—is what I wanted to say, but I couldn't bring myself to talk again. It made me think, if the amulet had been with her instead of being stored away and forgotten with me, would she have stayed safe? Would she still have died? Was I, in a way, responsible for her death then? Could that be the reason why she haunted me instead of her family? Even if we never really knew each other?

"Do they...miss me, you think?" Nico said, breaking the silence. Her eyes reflected a mixture of hope and doubt as she asked.

"Yes," I said, giving her a heartened smile. "Very much so."

She made a gesture of wiping off sweat from her forehead as she sighed in relief. Did she think they wouldn't? There wasn't even any sweat to wipe. For someone who's always so full of herself, she didn't really look that confident just then. I found it pretty hilarious that I couldn't help but chuckle out loud, loud enough for Nico to look my way in wonderment and shock.

"What?" I asked, feeling slightly conscious.

"I dunno, it's just surprising to see you laugh..." She admitted, looking sheepish as she absently scratched her index finger against her cheek. "I'm not sure what you're laughing about, but it feels kinda nice seeing you like that."

I tried to keep a neutral face as I felt my face catch fire from her words. I never expected anything like it coming from her and it was absolutely weird how she can say it so easily. I looked at her in hopes of scowling at her, but she only smiled at me in return, it was so annoyingly carefree and cheeky that her face pisses me off all of a sudden.

"I-I too, can laugh from time to time! What do you take me for?" I said, tearing my eyes off her else I probably would have given away the loud beating of my heart.

Nico just sniggered, wafting closer to where I could see her. "I know that, I'm just saying it's a nice thing to see. You're so stiff you know? It's like you're carrying the burden of the world sometimes."

My heartbeat gradually settled down to its normal rate as I contemplated about what she said. It's true that there was an unspoken pressure in me. From a very young age, I was told that I was to inherit the hospital papa has worked so hard to build and maintain. And at that point in time, I thought it was amazing—and I wondered if I can be good enough to be ready for it. I was provided with good education that has gotten me good grades and reasonable judgement about many things, just as it was intended to do. The path was already created for me, I just need to tread on it faithfully.

But as I grew, I began to realise that there's more to being just a great doctor or inheriting a prominent hospital. Slowly but surely, my priorities shifted and the expectations my parents had for me became an oppressive load I can barely shoulder. It's not like I've grown to hate the idea of becoming one, but it wasn't as prevalent in my mind as it used to be. However, in my inability to let them about know about this change, I let my chances slip away until it was the only future I saw myself taking. I'd be lying if I said I didn't regret it, but I had to pay the price of my indecision.

Of all the people to see through me, it had to be a ghost. She seemed to have grasped the picture pretty easily with just the random and brief tidbits of my life that I have shared with her. Was she just that observant or have I just grown comfortable around her that I became careless with my actions? I have always been referred to as calm, cool and level headed, and I'd like to believe I actually live up to that image by acting accordingly. I'm not sure what to think of it now that Nico just effortlessly calls me out for the opposite.

"I must have gotten too far with that. Nico will shut up now."

Hearing her voice again made me realise I had been silent for a while. It wasn't my intention to do so, but I somehow always run away with my musings whenever I'm with her. She makes me think too much about things I shouldn't even be thinking about, always challenging me and getting me out of my comfort zone. It's a pain in the ass, but I'd be fooling myself if I said I hated being subjected to it. I've been stable and complacent all my life, experiencing these new things are something I don't mind going through.

"No, it's not like that," She hasn't said anything else just like she said she would, giving me the cue to clarify my silence. "You're right, it does feel that way when your parents expects too much from you."

I'm not sure why I was telling her about it when this talk was supposed to be about her, but I felt like I could. It wasn't very usual, but there'd be times that I would go home from class very frustrated, with a strong urge to vent out or talk about it. Prior to Nico showing up, I just either played loud jazz music on my stereo or sleep because there wasn't anyone I know available to talk to. But when she came, she would be there to listen, giving me her undivided attention regardless of how tedious it was. It was comforting, if only she didn't tease me right after.

"Ah, so it really was like that. I kinda had a feeling." She said, looking enlightened.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"'Nishikino Maki, the beautiful daughter of the Nishikino clan of doctors, the one and only heir to the Nishikino General Hospital, is expected to be a great practitioner. Just like her parents!'" She dramatically narrated, complete with hand gestures. "...or something like that?"

I'm not sure how to react to the sensationalizing of my situation, but she was pretty much on point otherwise. "I guess. But I'm used to it, I just have to deal with it."

"By looking like you wanna strangle someone all the time? Is that a really good way to deal with it?" She asked, making grouchy expressions at me mockingly.

"I wanna strangle you all the time." I stated, grimacing at her.

"You're so violent! Didn't your parents teach how to be graceful or something? Good thing I'm dead then, else you'd be a murderer!"

She made really exaggerated faces of fear as she said this, her absurd gestures adding more to the hilarity of her crude joke. She was so silly, it's somewhat unreal. She'd even go as far as joking about her own death just to make a punchline—it was like those comedians I see on TV, who would drop any sense of dignity to deliver a joke. I wasn't sure if I should be impressed or worried that she can do it so naturally. What I knew for sure though was that I was grinning and holding in another bout of laughter.

"See, it's not so hard, is it?" Nico said, watching me with a grin of her own. "You should laugh and smile more. It suits you."

As if it was timed, the temperature around my face went up just like that. In a span of hours, she had successfully elicited a barrage of varying emotions in me that I'd never think I'd feel considering the nature of our relationship. Without a doubt, this ghost is a riot to my psyche. Dangerously so.

"W-what's with that? I don't get it." I found myself saying, the only response that made sense in my mind.

"I've giving you a compliment Mackey! You should be grateful that the great Nico has approved of you!"

"I feel disgusted to be honest."

"Whaaaat?"

Neither of us have explicitly said it, nor would we openly admit, but from an antagonizing start, we've grown completely comfortable with each other—snarky and playful, but still agreeable. For the longest time, I was convinced that we'll never get along. But as she gave me hearty beam, I knew we were past that. Strange as it sounds, it felt gratifying to be proven wrong. It was surreal, despite the spectral aspect of Nico, I felt warmth all throughout my body as I heard the two of us giggle in unison. She just had that kind of effect on me for some reason.

"Hey Maki?" She spoke up, after calming down from her laughing fit.

"Hm?" I only managed to reply, as my own mirth died down.

"What should we do now?" She said, a tinge of hesitance coated her tone.

I looked at her in bafflement, not really sure what she was talking about. She seemed to have picked it up and opened her mouth to speak again.

"You know, since we found out the reason why I'm stuck here...and that you've met my family…" She muttered dubiously, nervously twiddling on her fingers.

It took a moment for me to digest what she was implying. When it did, it felt like a brick was dropped on my head. Things were happening too fast for my liking.

"...will you take me to them?"

Hearing that question alarmed me more than it should have. It wasn't like I didn't know it was coming, of course I knew. That's right, the whole purpose of this talk was for her to get reunited with her family so she could hopefully remember her past. For a while there, it completely slipped my mind. Being reminded of it now didn't help the feeling of unpreparedness that surged within me as her words registered in my head.

Nico will be gone soon.

This was it, she was leaving. She was _finally_ leaving. No more unscientific shenanigans, soon it would be just b_e_ me and a quiet, normal apartment. Just like how it should be. I should be celebrating, I should rejoice. But for some reason, I feel unhappy at the very thought of it. This wasn't how I imagined it to be. Something wasn't right.

"O-of course, that was the plan from the beginning." I struggled to say, hoping she didn't notice.

Nico smiled at me, the most tender and warmest smile she ever gave me since we met.

"Thank you, Maki."

I felt my heart twist in a way I couldn't comprehend. It felt as if I was drowning and my lungs were giving out. I envisioned our parting without that much fanfare or complications, why would it when we were just strangers stuck in this bizarre situation? There wasn't any reason for us—or for me to feel this horrible, but somehow here I am, dreading the way she thanked me. It felt final, as if this was gonna be the last time we'll talk, and it scared me. The heavy feeling from earlier was gradually coming back to me and I didn't like it.

My mind desperately scrambled for more things to say, anything at all to keep our conversation going.

"I-I learned a few things about you!" I blurted out, shocking Nico and even myself at the outburst. But this was good, this was fine. "...your mother told me. I saw your apartment too."

It took a bit for her to reply. "What did you think of me?"

Good, she took the bait. This won't end until I feel satisfied. Who needs sleep anyway?

"There was hardly any change from the current you."

"Er, is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She asked regretting it the moment it got out.

I smirked at her, she was making it easier for me to keep talking. "I wonder...you still looked like a child, so I guess it's a _good _thing?"

"I shouldn't have asked." She puffed her cheeks in indignation and turned her back on me.

Feeling rather triumphant after teasing her, I decided to be a bit more lenient. While choosing what to tell her next, I looked at her form that was still turned back at me. I assumed she was just fuming from our last exchange, but I noticed her head shake from left to right and around the room as if she was looking for something.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Oh, I never realised Nozomi was gone until just now. No wonder she didn't talk at all while we did." She said, facing me again.

"She just met you, it'd be rude to listen on your story as if it was nothing. She was being considerate." I said, feeling irritated all of a sudden.

"She helped us a lot though! I don't mind letting her know." She said, her voice eager, her eyes sparkling in a way it never did even for me. I felt my mood dampen further, no longer feeling the need or urge to continue the conversation.

"Go tell her yourself then. I'm going to bed." I end up saying.

"Why do you sound so angry all of a sudden?" Nico inquired, a puzzled look on her face.

"I don't. I'm not." I said, trying to look and sound indifferent as possible. Why was she so observant when I don't need her to be? Am I just that obvious? I can't help but feel annoyed at the prospect.

She stared at me with an unconvinced look, but shrugged after a while.

"If you say so. I'll let you sleep now, goodnight Maki." She said as she left the room, going through the wall like she always did.

"You're an idiot, Nico." I mumbled, glaring at the walls she just passed through. After a while, I stood up to turn off the lights and immediately buried my head on a pillow face first. _I'm an idiot._

* * *

Nico scrunched up her eyebrows in aggravation. Understanding Maki was akin to playing a crane game at the arcade; just when you thought you got to them, the moment you pull up, it gives you nothing but disappointment and utter confusion. Not that she necessarily treated Maki like some kind of prize—she didn't. But dealing with her sometimes felt like a game of luck where her odds were spread across randomly depending on the day. Here she was, assuming that they've finally gotten friendly after months of nonstop arguing and bad blood, but Maki was still as unreadable and closed as ever.

It doesn't matter anymore though, with the recent developments, she would be out of the redhead's hair soon. She just needs to figure out what to do with the amulet that's binding her to this place.

"Oh, Nicocchi. You're done talking?" Nozomi said, startling Nico off her reverie.

"Y-yeah, Maki had to rest. She had a long day," She said, assessing the situation before her. Nozomi was just seated on the couch, her deck of cards still spread across the table in front of her. "You're still awake though? Aren't you tired?"

"Hmm, I am but, I think I have a case of jet lag? I just came back from India, you see. It doesn't really have that large of a time difference from Japan but I was always awake around this hour when I was there." The purple haired girl explained, shifting slightly in place.

"Whoa, India? That sounds cool! What did you do there?" Nico asked, genuinely curious. She floated beside Nozomi so they could talk better.

"Meditate." She stated simply.

"Meditate?" Nico repeated.

"Yeah," The purple haired girl paused, playing with the hem of her sweater. "I have this...unusual affinity to spiritual things. And I was led there by the cards."

Nico could only nod. She didn't really understand, but that sounded pretty cool. "I guess that explains why you could tell right away what was wrong with me!"

"There wasn't anything wrong with you though." Nozomi smilingly affirmed.

"You know what I mean. Dead person wandering around, unable to leave this place?" Nico pointed at herself for emphasis.

"You mean the cute and lively girl I'm talking to right now?" Nozomi winked. "The cards didn't tell me about it you know, but I'm glad fate has led me to meet you."

If Nico could actually blush in embarrassment, this felt like a good time to do so. Nozomi was an odd girl, it felt as if she was talking to a sage half the time, but her playfulness was comparable to that of a middle schooler. Her mysterious aura was still there, but it didn't feel threatening, she was quick to get rid of the barrier between them too even though they've just met.

Somehow, Nico felt like she could trust her. "C-cut it out, that's cheesy as hell."

"Aww, is Nicocchi embarrassed?" Nozomi teased, feeling the spontaneous development of her bond with the petite girl increase. It was no surprise that the urge to befriend her grew more as they conversed.

"No, you just say weird things to people you've just met!" Nico retaliated, flailing her arms.

"But we're friends now, aren't we?" Nozomi asked, tilting her head slightly and grinning cutely at the raven haired ghost.

Nico halted her thrashing and stayed silent for a few seconds, taking in the other girl's words. _Friends._ It had such a nice ring to it. She doesn't remember anything about her friends when she was alive, and she wondered if she had any in the first place. Nozomi made no distinction between them and brought it up as if it was the most natural thing in the world. It made Nico feel appreciated, and it was a nice feeling. It's funny to think about it now, but she's made more progress getting close to Nozomi than she ever did with Maki.

"I-if you're alright with me, I guess?" Nico said awkwardly, unable to hide her excitement about it.

"Great!" Nozomi smiled widely in satisfaction. "So it wouldn't be weird to ask you to tell me more about yourself, right?"

"Eh...well, you know there's not much to tell. I don't remember much about myself." Nico said, sounding regretful.

"Then...how did your talk with Maki-chan go?" Nozomi hummed while tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear

"Oh, she explained to me how she might have gotten hold of the amulet."

Nozomi tried to piece things together from what she had gathered so far, Nico and Maki only worked together solely for the purpose of helping the former pass on. According to Maki, they did not know or remember each other, so it was safe to assume they weren't friends—even if their interaction suggested otherwise.

"She got it from your family at some point?" She tried confirming, since it had the highest chance of being correct from all the scenarios she had in mind. She couldn't help but think how provident their connection would be if it were true.

"Yeah. She said she didn't remember getting it, but she was helping their hospital back then. Apparently she met my family today and they remember her, but she doesn't, so she just concluded it had to be something like that." Nico elaborated, looking somehow downcast as she did.

"Hm, I guess that's the most logical assumption," Nozomi said, raising a thoughtful finger to her chin. "And you really haven't met each other during all that?"

"I don't know, I guess not if she doesn't remember me at all. I mean, who doesn't remember someone as awesome as me? That's preposterous!" She exclaimed, huffing in disbelief.

Nozomi let out a gleeful snicker in reply. "It sure is."

A bit taken aback by the lack of a snide rebuttal or a loud objection, Nico's eyes widened.

"D-don't just agree with it, idiot…"

"There's no way I could disagree though~."

Nico pouted and shyly looked away, embarrassment overwhelming her again. She always tried to make it so that her self boasting was taken with a grain of salt, but now that there was no Maki to sass her, she was unsure of what to do. Although it felt good to be praised, it just didn't seem right.

"You're such an interesting girl, Nicocchi. I'd pat your head if I could." Nozomi commented, reenacting exactly what she said on empty air.

"No treating me like a kid please!" Nico said, forming an x mark with her arms.

They kept talking at that manzai-like pace for a while, just exchanging jabs at each other but at the same time getting to know more about the other. Nozomi was definitely easier to talk to than Maki, Nico thought—then again, them not being friends was probably the reason for it. Was it naive of her think they could? But there was no point in thinking about it now, pretty soon she won't be seeing her anymore anyway. Perhaps they just weren't meant to be anything else but just strangers to each other.

"Oh yeah, I was wondering...since we found the reason why I was bound to this place, if Maki throws the amulet out or something, does it mean I won't be stuck in this apartment anymore?" She brought up, getting herself to business.

"Throwing it out is bad luck. Don't do that." Nozomi warned. "But theoretically, yes, you should be able to go anywhere once the amulet is cleansed. I'd suggest to give it to a shrine so they can handle that."

"Oooh!" Nico snapped her fingers. "And after that, I'll just need to see my family and see how it goes!" She added in afterthought. So far, that's all she can see herself doing at the moment. There was no guarantee that her family was the answer to why she hasn't transitioned to the afterlife, but it was a good lead. What worried her was what she'll do if this wasn't the finish line. She didn't want to haunt people forever—or rather, she didn't to stay being a ghost and see people live their lives while she was stuck in this indescribable limbo.

"Anything on your mind?" Nozomi asked, noticing her in deep thought.

"Oh, uh, well, I was just wondering what I should do next if that doesn't get me to pass on…" Nico said, crossing her arms. "Maki's done her part, so I don't really want to impose on her more than I already have, I'm not sure if I can stick close to my family yet, but if for some reason I can't, I don't know where I'll go. It'll suck just wandering aimlessly." She said, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought further.

"Want to live with me then?" Nozomi gave her an inviting motion, pointing to herself.

Nico's eyes twinkled in anticipation. "C-can I really?!"

"Of cour—

"Nozomi."

Not minding that the discussion was abruptly clipped, Nozomi and Nico looked worriedly at the direction of the groggy voice, a girl with messy scarlet hair and droopy eyes was walking towards them, holding up her phone.

"Maki-chan?" Nozomi called out, a muddled look on her face seeing the state of the younger girl.

Maki only shoved the phone closer to her. "It's _Eli_," She grunted. "She called in this ungodly hour to ask about my missed call from earlier. I told her you were here, please talk to her and calm her down."

Trying to hide her eagerness over the the request, she wordlessly, Nozomi took the phone from the Maki's hand and placed it on her ear. "Elicchi?"

"Oh my god, it really is you Nozomi!" A panicked voice came out of the receiver.

"Yes, I'm back." She closed her eyes and pressed the screen closer to her ear, a smile of fulfillment plastered on her face as she did so.

"I'm sorry I couldn't answer you earlier! It was an unknown number and I was talking with a friend...and then I saw Maki called as well so I tried reaching her right after—

"It's five in the damn morning, couldn't it have waited?" Maki said, clearly livid. Despite the phone set only for her to hear, the speakers were loud enough that the caller on the other line could be heard throughout the living room and she couldn't help but make her complaint be known.

"I said I'm sorry okay? You haven't called in forever, then all of a sudden, I get a call from you in the middle of the night. I was worried!" By now, Nozomi had placed the phone on loudspeaker.

"What were you even doing, talking to your friend that late?" Maki said, feeling the slight hypocrisy of her retort as she looked at the dumbfounded Nico hovering between her and Nozomi.

"C'mon guys, let's all calm down," Nozomi interjected. "Elicchi, I'm sure you're tired too, let's all rest for now and meet up later this afternoon?" She suggested.

"Okay." Was Eli's immediate response.

Maki gave in after being subjected to the purple haired girl's pleading look. "...fine."

"Great! I'll see you in a bit then, Elicchi. Sleep well!" Nozomi jovially voiced through the line before ending the call. She handed the phone back to owner who took it quietly. "Sorry for the restless day, Maki-chan."

Maki rolled her eyes and gave Nico a fleeting look. "Worst things have happened."

Not missing the gesture, Nozomi only simpered in intrigue. She wasn't sure what to make of this messy development, but Maki's aura had definitely changed since her talk with Nico. It made her want to put it on the forefront and see things unfold.

"Nicocchi, about what we were talking about earlier…" She began.

After a while of just being in the background, watching and trying to make sense of the things that just happened, it took a while for Nico to remember what they were even discussing. Once she recalled the details, her eyes momentarily landed at the grumpy redhead, only to see her glowering in her direction for some inexplicable reason. She tried to shrug it off and faced Nozomi.

"Ah yeah, stayi—

"No." Maki urgently intervened, her voice firm and stern.

Nozomi's lips shaped into a smirk, wholly appeased with the outcome. It was just as she expected, and Maki delivered in spades. She sure has a knack for cutting people off though.

Nico just eyed her incredulously. "Sorry Maki, but I don't think you even know what we—

"I do know. I'm saying it's a no." Maki interrupted her again, her tone just as serious.

Nico's expression changed from offended to annoyed in a span of seconds, not really liking or comprehending how Maki was acting the way she did. It was always like that, and she hated trying to understand her mood every time. Not to mention the fact that she eavesdropped on a conversation she was never meant to hear. Trying to figure out this girl was infuriating.

"What do you mean no? I thought you wanted me out of here?" Nico asked, her voice mildly raising from the building vexation.

"After I went through all the trouble helping you, you leave just like that? How ungrateful!" Maki spat, her own voice raising.

"Wha—I thought the deal was for you to help me so I could leave? You're already getting your part of the bargain if I do that!"

"Just who decided that?!"

"You did!"

"No, you did!"

"What? You lost me, Maki. I don't even know what you're on about anymore."

Maki raised a hand to her face in frustration and roughly stroked it with her palm. "You're deciding things on your own. We haven't talked about what we'll do next after I take you to your family, not even what we'll do with the amulet."

"I asked Nozomi what we can do with the amulet, if we give it to a shrine to be cleansed, you'll be free of me. You don't even have to think about what to do after you've taken me to my family. You've done your part and you could go back to your normal life, isn't that what you wanted?" Nico said, still not seeing why this was a big deal all of a sudden.

"I don't want that anymore!" Maki declared. "Stop deciding these things by yourself!"

Nozomi watched their back and forth in awe. It was the first time she's seen Maki so frantic and open about her feelings. But it didn't seem to reach Nico at all, she just stared at the other girl in ambivalence throughout their skirmish. She pondered if she should interfere, but decided against it when she saw Nico about to speak again. _They'll be fine_. Things will only be a lot more interesting from now on.

"How the hell do I know that if you never tell me?! All this time, I've been trying to understand what runs in that stupid head of yours! You're always so irate when I'm around, am I supposed to interpret that as you enjoying my company? You're confusing!" Nico dissented, pulling at her hair in equal exasperation.

Maki's demeanor mellowed down, unable to say anything against the ruby eyed girl's outburst. She balled her hands into fists, feeling astonishment in the commotion and misunderstanding she had caused. Her whole being coursed through immense remorse over how Nico must have felt all this time. She knew she was awkward and had trouble being honest, but she never had anyone calling her out on it. It was helpful that her friends, like Nozomi and Eli understood how she was, she never had to think about it.

But Nico was different. They weren't friends. Maki didn't even have a single term that could describe what they were to each other. But somehow, she expected her to nonchalantly accept everything about her. Why did she? What made her comfortable enough to be this pompous towards her? The more Maki thought about it, the more she felt like cursing herself.

"I'm sorry." With her cumbersome side at work, it was all she could say. In turn, she looked at Nico intensely, trying to communicate her sincerest apology that way, hoping her eyes were enough to convey her guilt and promise to be better.

Nico sighed and gave her an empathetic smile. She somehow felt nostalgic over how the amethyst eyed girl expressed herself—as if it was something she would have done herself in such a situation. Which was peculiar, since that meant they were more similar than she initially thought. Whichever the case, even if Maki occasionally goes through these moments, there was no way she'd hate her so easily just for being a difficult brat. "If you wanted me to stay, you could have just said so."

Not expecting this kind of reply, Maki took some time to react, struggling to make sense of what she had just heard. Were they okay now? Nico wasn't mad at her?

"Y-you wish." She ended up saying, her face as red as her hair after finally realising what the other girl just implied.

"Aw Maki, you're so cute, still playing the tough guy after spilling spaghetti like that. Just admit you wanna be Nico's friend~. I'm feeling generous today so I might accept!"

"S-spilling spaghet—what?! What kind of phrase is that?!"

"You're more concerned about _that_?!"

A dynamic like theirs was not something anyone can just easily decide like that, but to Nozomi, this was progress. She smiled at the bickering pair with tremendous amusement. Pulling up The Lovers on them made more sense now than ever, and she just knew she had to see this through the end. She reached for the deck of cards on the table, collecting them all and rearranging them back on the card holder—for now, all's well and ends well.


End file.
